


One Month: Alone Together

by SailorSilverLadybug



Series: Timelines [4]
Category: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon (Anime & Manga)
Genre: F/M, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Teen Angst, Teen Pregnancy, Teen Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-29
Updated: 2019-01-24
Packaged: 2019-09-29 23:45:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 6
Words: 30,207
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17213075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SailorSilverLadybug/pseuds/SailorSilverLadybug
Summary: Originally based on a contest, this story is about what might happen if Motoki and the Inner Senshi decided they'd had enough of the fighting between Mamoru and Usagi and stranded them on an Island, naked and alone, for one month. Another alternate timeline, this one a request that the couple stay on the island for the entire month, and that the story be told ONLY from their POV.





	1. September 30: When Enough Is Enough

**Author's Note:**

> Author's Note: This addition is a request from Ladie Byrd. The entire story is told from the perspective of Mamoru and Usagi. What would have happened if no one had come for them?  
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
> TRIGGER WARNING: Non-consensual sex/ Non-consensual drug use  
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
> Some differences for this story:  
> 1) Ami is involved in the scheme with the rest  
> 2) Usagi's Hair is not cut  
> 3) Makoto doesn't change her mind  
> 4) Motoki knows Mamoru is Tuxedo Kamen  
> 5) They provide the jug of wine  
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
> Usagi and the girls are 16  
> Mamoru is 18  
> Shitennou - 17-18  
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
> I DON'T THINK MOTOKI OR THE GIRLS WOULD EVER DO THIS. IT IS A STORY BASED ON A CONTEST. NOTHING MORE.

***Usagi's POV***

"Baka! Why can't you just leave me alone?" Usagi wailed, making every customer in the Crown cringe and cover their ears. She'd had enough of his constant teasing to last a lifetime. He nearly always started their arguments... except on the rare occasions when it was a test paper or a shoe hitting him that started them, or perhaps her face planting into his chest on her morning dash to school. No one seemed to get that though. They always yelled at her and talked down to her as though she was the immature one.

She finally huffed and turned away, only to have Mamoru grab her wrist and turn her back around. "What's the matter Odango Atama, can't think of a decent comeback so you're just going to run away and cry some more? You really are pathetic you know!"

After months of teasing, Usagi finally snapped. She wrenched herself out of his grasp and slapped him before stomping her heel down on his foot. With her other hand she reached for the first thing she saw. Someone had left a half empty glass of soda on the counter. She picked it up and hurled it at his head. He ducked, and the glass smashed against the wall near the break room.

The sound of shattering glass pulled her out of her rage and she covered her mouth with both hands. "Oh, Kami! What have I done?" she asked.

Suddenly her arm was grabbed roughly by Motoki and she was being shoved through the door into the break room alongside Mamoru. Minako and Rei took hold of her and forced her down into a chair. She couldn't help herself and immediately started to cry as they tied her tightly down.

"What are you doing?" she asked, unsure what has happening. "Let me go, please?"

She hadn't meant to lash out that way. As much as she loved Mamoru, her temper had flared. She'd never lost her temper before. Is that why she was being punished? She couldn't stop herself from weeping. 

She heard Mamoru growling and struggling and wanted them to let him go. He hadn't really done anything wrong. She opened her mouth to tell them so, when she heard him yell.

"Let her go!" he yelled, and it was very obvious that he was angry.

She was shocked at his outburst. He had never really shown true anger before. Well, once... but that was when the jerk Endo had tried to force her to kiss him. It had been the true turning point for her. She'd started falling in love with him before that, when he'd saved Luna, but that day had prompted the head over heels tumble into full on love. She remembered how he had picked an argument with her just so he had an excuse to make sure she got home safely. 

Her tears didn't stop. Why were their friends doing this to them? 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
***Mamoru's POV***

Mamoru was pissed. He didn't know what the hell Motoki thought he was doing, but he was scaring his Odango and Mamoru couldn't have that. "I said untie her!" he growled, struggling uselessly against his own restraints. He hadn't argued when Motoki had tied him up, though he had been confused, but the thought of his Usako scared and crying was just too much.

For a moment he nearly couldn't stop himself reaching for a rose. "Usagi, are you okay?" he asked.

There was a sniffle, and then, "yeah, but they tied me to a chair." The other four were still between the two of them. He wondered where Ami was. She was normally inseparable with Usagi and the other girls. 

"It's okay, they tied me up too. But I don't think Motoki or the others would hurt us." He tried to reassure her, all the while staring daggers at Motoki and Makoto. "You'd better let her go right now. This wasn't her fault. I pushed too far. LET HER GO!" His voice wasn't loud, but he put all of his anger and frustration into the words.

"This is for your own good," Motoki whispered, his face only inches from Mamoru's. "You two need to talk. So... talk." With that he and the girls left the room, leaving him staring at a weeping Usagi. His heart absolutely melted for her. She was scared, and he hated that.

"I'm sorry Usagi," he said finally. "This is all my fault."

She shook her head. "Nani? Mamoru I'm sorry I hurt you and tried to throw the glass at you."

Mamoru only shook his head. He'd been surprised at how much force had been behind the slap and the heel to his foot, and extremely impressed with the tiny shards of shattered glass left when he'd seen the soda she'd thrown. She was so tiny it was hard to imagine her having that kind of strength. But he wasn't injured. No real damage was done.

"It wasn't too bad Odango." He said, his voice reassuring.

For once she didn't scream at him over the name. They both knew the truce wouldn't last. They'd been locked in closets and cupboards, set up on blind dates, even banned from the arcade once in an effort to stop their arguing. But he knew if he stopped teasing her he would have no excuse to speak to her at all, and he couldn't let that happen.

He needed her in his life. She was the only real light he had. She cared about him even with all the arguing. She showed him kindness even when he showed none of how he felt. She was his hope.

The truth was, he loved her so much it was painful to be away from her. He could never tell her though. Could never let her get too close. He had to keep her away, even make it seem to the enemy that he hated her. Because if they found out who he was they would go after the people in his life that he loved. It was why he'd pulled further and further away from her since he'd found out he had become Tuxedo Kamen.

That had been a shock to the system. He'd been having blackouts. Lost time. Waking up in strange places, like the back of the arcade, or on Motoki's couch. Then one day his best friend had informed him that he was Tuxedo Kamen. And he had begun to remember. His battles against the Negaverse, and his need to protect Sailor Moon. He was always led to her, always felt her need stronger than his own. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
***Usagi's POV***

She hated seeing Mamoru tied up and looking so upset. She loved him, and the last thing she wanted was to see him so frustrated. She wished, for the millionth time, that she wasn't Sailor Moon. If it wasn't for the secret identity she probably would have already kissed him. But Kami knew she would never, ever, put him in danger.

Somehow she always knew where Mamoru was. It had been a gradual thing. Their constant run ins had driven her to near insanity, but the more she'd tried to avoid them, the more they'd happened, as though they were led to each other on an invisible string. The only time the feelings were manageable was when she transformed into the Moon Senshi. She sighed as she stared over at Mamoru, wishing she didn't have that burden, so that just once she could tell him she didn't hate him. Didn't dislike him at all. 

Motoki and Minako came back into the room. Usagi wished she could wipe her cheeks. Mamoru glared. Motoki went to him and Minako moved towards her. The other blonde girl held a straw to Usagi's lips. "Drink. Maybe it will cool your throat."

Usagi took a few sips. "What's going on?" she asked.

"Finish a bit more of your shake and I'll tell you," Minako urged. She could hear Motoki talking quietly to Mamoru and the sounds of shake being slurped through the straw.

"We think we've found a way for the two of you to stop arguing." Usagi blinked up at her stupidly. For some reason she couldn't process all the words.

Minako reached out and tugged at the knots holding Usagi to the chair. She lifted one of Usagi's hands and pressed the shake into them. "If you drink all of this, we will let you go," she said, a hint of a blush on her cheeks. Usagi could only nod and stare up at her beautiful friend. She took another large slurp.

"You're pretty," she giggled.

Minako smiled. Everything seemed to be coming from very far away. She turned her head and saw that Mamoru had been untied as well. The chocolate in the shake tasted funny, but every time she tried to stop slurping at it, Minako pushed it back towards her mouth.

The room was spinning. Her friend's long blonde hair fell forward as she leaned in to hug Usagi. She straightened and smiled. Something came out of her mouth but Usagi was too entranced with the light reflecting on the golden hair to notice.

Motoki was leaving and had taken hold of Minako's arm. They were whispering, but Usagi couldn't understand their words. Everything seemed to be coming through a long tunnel. She wondered what people would do if they saw Sailor Moon all drugged up like this. Then it hit her, she had been drugged. Crap. Something was wrong. Was there an attack on the arcade?

"Mam-ba-ka," Usagi mumbled, her tongue feeling strange. "Some-thing wrong. Don't drink shake." Her head was spinning as she tried to warn him. He gave her a strange look, but his eyes were glazing over as well. She looked at his glass and it was nearly two thirds gone.

"Oh-kay?" he asked.

"Drugged," she whispered, fear giving way to sheer panic. She tried to stand and fell to her knees. "Help!" she tried to shout, but it came out in a whisper. She saw Mamoru fall to his knees in front of her and begin to crawl closer.

"Usa-us..." he tried to speak. "Oh-kay?" but she could no longer answer and only shook her head, tears pouring down her cheeks. She saw the worry in his eyes as he stared at her, and then he was falling forward onto his face, and she heard no more from him.

She heard a sound behind her and tried to turn her head. Motoki came over and put his hand on Mamoru's neck, checking his pulse. "Help," Usagi whispered, her vision fading to black as her head became too heavy to hold up. "Help him."

"I'm sorry Usagi-chan," she heard him whisper. "This is for your own good." The darkness took her then, and she knew no more.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
***Mamoru's POV***

~~~Dream~~~  
He stood, staring up at the balcony of the ruined palace. Here again, to see the princess. He frowned. She wasn't crying out to him to find the Silver Crystal. How strange. She should be begging him to find it, and her. No, now she was sobbing, her hands over her eyes, crying out, "I don't want to remember. I don't want to see it!"   
He moved, pulled toward her, though he knew it was an impossible task to reach her. "Princess?" he called out, feeling unsure.   
She looked up at him, her face ravaged by tears, her crystalline blue eyes staring at him in horror. "Please... help me?" she begged, and resumed her cries of anguish.   
"How?" he asked, not knowing what to do. "How do I help you?"   
"I don't want to remember," she moaned.   
He saw her fall out of his sight and raced toward the balcony. Again, he could not get close to her. Not close enough to help.   
"Princess!" he screamed. He clawed at the barrier, still unsure what it was that was holding him back from her. If only he could see it.   
"It's too soon," she sobbed.   
The world began to change, to grow more clear.   
He could see the palace in it's glory now, and found himself at the top of a staircase just outside the entry. The princess was behind his back, her face buried into his shoulder as she wept.   
Below were the Senshi, all dead, each with a man over her, impaled, lying over the women in death. He could hear one of the men still sobbing as his breath began to rattle and gurgle. There, and yet not there, as though they were a shimmering image of something he had recently seen.   
They faded away and he blinked as he watched a horde of mindless humans, now turned into nothing more than puppets, storming up the palace steps toward him and the princess.   
A woman rose in front of him, laughing, and he felt his princess back away.   
"Come to me Endymion," the woman called. "Join me and we can rule the Earth together."   
Without his prompting, his mouth opened and words poured out. "Never. I would never betray my wife, my people. What you have done is an abomination."   
The woman's bright red hair swayed as she shook her head. "The people are happier under my control. As you will be. Once that Moon Brat is gone, I'll make you mine, just like I did your men."   
"Never!" he screamed. He was unsure what was happening, but the body he was in was shaking with rage.   
The woman lifted her hand and struck at the princess, a killing blow. His body leapt into the path of the strike and he was cut down. He could feel the life leeching from him. And then he was falling, only to be caught in soft hands, and his head rested on his princess' thighs as he stared up longingly at her face. He lifted a hand to her, hoping to touch her cheek one last time. The princess looked so familiar. Her features nearly identical to the ones he knew so well on his secret love.   
"Endymion!" she screamed, bending over him. His hand touched her cheek, her smooth soft skin. But he felt so weak. He wanted to hold her forever. His arm wasn't strong enough and fell to his side. "No! Please. You can't leave me!"   
"Serenity... I love... you..." his voice whispered the words as the world began to fade into blackness.   
He watched in horror as Serenity reached over him for his sword and brought the sharp tip to her belly, just under her ribs and fell over on it. He felt her warm blood over him as he took his last, painful breath.   
Back in the ruins of the castle, the memories began to fade. He couldn't recall the faces, or the details. Only the pain of losing his love. His princess. The words and names were nothing. Only that moment where he knew she was no more. Again he heard her wails of sadness and sorrow.   
"It's too soon to remember," she whispered, and then the dream left him.   
~~~Dream End~~~

Fading in and out. Time shifting. Being carried. 

Nothing made sense. He felt a warm body next to his own. 

A pinch as something entered his arm. 

Then his clothing was gone. 

Another pinch. 

Bright light. Warmth. 

A body under his own. 

Someone touching him, putting his erection somewhere hot and wet and tight around him. A mischievous laugh as he was positioned. 

And then a moan of pain nearby and he was inside heaven, his hips moving without conscious thought.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
***Usagi's POV***

~~~Dream~~~  
She didn't want to remember. Didn't want to go back to the dream. She clawed at it, trying to wake herself, but something pulled her down and down into the darkness of that awful place. The place where horrors happened. She sobbed as the images became clearer and clearer around her. She didn't want to be there. Didn't want to remember.   
Again the dream took her. Everything felt like her body, though she knew it wasn't her. It was the princess, who had died more than a thousand years before.   
She watched as the prince pulled her arm, tugging at her. She ran with him, crying in pain and fear as she realized the moon kingdom was under attack and that all around her people were dying.   
And then she heard the first of the screams. "No! What have I done!" A man, his curly blonde hair caught up into a ponytail at the back of his head, stood over Sailor Mercury, tears streaming down his face. "What did she make me do?" he cried, more quietly. Usagi watched helplessly as the man turned the bloodied blade of his sword and impaled himself, falling over Mercury's body. She fell to her knees in agony.   
The second scream, the third, the fourth all followed. She watched helplessly as the four men who had been turned now realized their mistake and remembered the loves they had just murdered. She watched, tears pouring out, as each one killed himself and lay across their wives. The sobs tore out of her throat.   
The prince pulled her up and away, trying to get her to safety. Somewhere, she knew, her mother was fighting. She could feel her, already weakened, and knew the battle was already lost. The Prince led her through the ruins of the palace. Innocents lay in pools of blood, and she cried over each one. The princess must have known and loved every person in the palace. Her gut wrenching sobs hurt her chest.   
And then they made it through the front doors to the steps. A woman with bright red hair led an army up the steps toward them. With horror, Usagi realized none of the people even knew where they were. She stepped back in shock. What had been done to them?   
"Come to me Endymion," the woman called. "Join me and we can rule the Earth together."   
"Never. I would never betray my wife, my people. What you have done is an abomination." Endymion was nearly shouting the words in front of her.   
"The people are happier under my control. As you will be. Once that Moon Brat is gone, I'll make you mine, just like I did your men."   
"Never!"   
She watched as Beryl, that was the woman's name though how she knew it she could not tell, lifted her sword and struck at her, but Endymion leapt in the way.   
"Endymion!" she screamed. She held on to him, holding his head in her lap. "No! Please. You can't leave me!" she begged.   
She stared in horror down at the face of Mamoru. He looked up at her so lovingly, and with so much sadness to be leaving her. But she already knew what would come next. His hand lifted to her cheek, and his thumb stroked once over her skin.   
"Serenity... I love... you..."   
His hand fell to his side, and she reached for his sword, impaling herself on the blade. The pain made her scream.   
But instead of waking, she found herself in blackness, even there she was forced to endure the long hours of pain she would normally feel upon waking. But the memories began to fade, the names and faces blurring into distant shadows.   
~~~Dream End~~~

Fading in and out. Time shifting. Being carried. 

Strange lights and colors behind her eyes. She couldn't open them. 

A pinch in her arm. Darkness. 

Stirring, nearly waking as her clothing was removed. 

Another pinch in her arm. 

Bright light against her closes eyelids. 

Warmth, and weight. A body pressed on top of her. Laughter as someone pressed something inside her.

Something invading her body, hurting her. And then pleasure as the pain disappeared. Her hips moved without her permission, seeking more.


	2. October 1: Waking Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Usagi and Mamoru react to what has been done to them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a reminder, there are four parallel stories, so if it seems somewhat similar to the others, forgive me. They are all slightly different, but in the beginning they start the same.   
> Trigger Warning. Use of substances against their will with intercourse involved.

***Mamoru's POV***

Mamoru was having the best dream of his life. Though they couldn't seem to be in the same room for more than ten minutes without arguing, Mamoru had long been in love with his blonde haired, Odangoed Goddess. She was HIS. He'd never told her, and he wondered if he ever would, but in his mind, she was his princess, and he would do anything for her.

He sunk further and further into the dream.

He and Usagi were in his bed and she was spread open before him. It was the day he would take her virginity, and she would take his. He'd dreamed of the moment hundreds of times. 

Her naked skin was smooth and soft under his palms as he reached for her breasts. She moaned, calling out his name in need and he bent his head to take her nipple into his mouth, sucking hard. He was throbbing against her thigh, and he moved one hand down over her smooth concave belly to reach the little mound covered in tiny, curly blonde hairs. 

He spread her open with his fingers, thankful to feel her wet, aroused state. "Are you sure?" He asked. She only moaned and nodded, her eyes still closed. "Usagi, I need the words. Are you sure?"

She opened her gorgeous cerulean eyes and stared at him, biting her little pink lip. After a moment she opened her mouth and whispered, "yes." 

It was the only thing he needed. He rolled over on top of her, moving to kiss her as he guided himself to her entrance. "It will only hurt for a second," he whispered, and thrust deep as he captured her mouth. She cried out, but he caught the sound in a deep passionate kiss, thrusting in and out of her again and again. 

It wasn't long before both of them were moaning and crying out each other's names. Her tight, wet heat covered him and felt better than he ever could have imagined. Her insides sucked at him, seeming loath to let him pull away even long enough to prepare the next thrust. He moaned again as he tortured her clit with his thumb. 

His mouth found its way to her nipple again and as she screamed her little tight channel convulsed around his hard cock, milking him. He released his seed inside her, thankful that they'd had this moment together. He prayed they'd never spend a day apart. 

Mamoru moaned and snuggled closer to the warm body under him, sighing in pleasure as his cock continued to throb its last few spurts into the tight little sheath surrounding him. The drugged sleep pulled him back under and he smiled at the blonde hair that brushed his cheek.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
***Usagi's POV***

Usagi felt strange. Her head was heavy, but her body felt so good she didn't care. She felt... full, wanted, devoured almost. Her nipples ached as a strange wet pressure pulled at them, and between her legs felt full and achy. Her dreams of Mamoru were pleasant.

She lay on the soft blanket, in a field of beautiful flowers. Birds chirped overhead, and she could hear waves gently lapping the shore. The sun was warm on her face, and she was happy, content to be in Mamoru's arms. She had dreamed of this moment, of how it would be for them. She felt his mouth on her breasts, and she sighed happily, waiting for Mamoru to make her his. 

Mamoru wrapped a strand of her long blonde hair around his fingertips as he explored her, and then she felt him pressing into her. Making her his, and him hers. They would be together forever now, two hearts made one. She sighed happily as he moved in and out of her. There was a pressure on her clit, friction that made her body wild. She felt something happening inside her belly and lower, where something filled her completely. 

There was a hint of pain, remnants of something sharper that she vaguely remembered, but with each passing moment the pain grew less and the pleasure more until she found her body convulsing in so much pleasure she didn't think she could stand it. When the feelings subsided, she was dragged back into the drug-induced sleep. She was happy with the weight of the body on top of her, the feeling of something filling her, the silky hair that brushed against her neck. She moaned again and then snuggled closer to the body, falling into the coma-like state.

She drifted in and out of the deep sleep left over from the drugs she had been given. As she grew more conscious of what was happening she could feel something happening. Someone was on top of her. She could not make her body work properly to push the person away. Worse, she could tell they were being intimate with her. Even her eyes refused to respond. Silent tears fell as she felt whoever it was pushing in and out of her. 

Her body shook with sobs that hurt her chest. Someone was having sex with her. She didn't know who it was, or where she was. She floundered mentally, trying to remember where she had been, and what she had been doing before she awoke. She heard the sounds of the other person's body slapping wildly against her own and then a grunt as the person about her shuddered wildly. Her body had only begun to respond, unstimulated, but it didn't hurt. 

What hurt was knowing something precious had been taken from her. Something she'd only ever wanted to share with one person. Mamoru. She wondered if he was alright. The last she had seen of him...

With suddenly clarity she began to remember what had happened. She and Mamoru had been tied into chairs by their friends, and they were given shakes with something that had made her feel drugged and sleepy. She'd thought it was a mistake, even perhaps a Youma attack, until Motoki had said they were doing it to them for their own good. Another hitching sob broke loose, and despair filled her. That meant it was Mamoru who was over her, inside her. And she hadn't gotten to remember it. She could never get back the moment she had lost with him. Their first time. 

Someone, even knowing she was Sailor Moon and couldn't be with him, she'd always clung to the hope that they would be together someday. When the Youma were gone. When she wasn't moonlighting as a superhero. When she didn't have to pretend he was her nemesis. She'd always pictured something sweet and romantic. Candlelight, or perhaps a summer afternoon like she'd dreamed of before. 

Now that hope was gone. Again her sorrow was overwhelming and she gave in to the hoarse wracking sobs. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
***Mamoru's POV***

Mamoru was in absolute heaven. His cock was wrapped in heat. Tight, wet heat. And he couldn't help but rock in and out of it. Again, and again he rolled into it, burying himself deep. He was on the edge of wakefulness when he was overcome in an incredible orgasm. He snuggled in deeper and fell into a more natural sleep, his breathing evening out.

When he finally opened his eyes, he was met by very dim light, and a sobbing girl under him. He felt himself, buried deep inside her and gasped, even as his cock throbbed. "Wha-?"

Usagi was under him, crying hysterically. Her hair was cut brutally short, to just under her ears. On anyone else the style would have been adorable, but on his Usako, it made her appear to be a shorn sheep. Anger filled him. Whoever had done that to her and made her cry was the worst sort of person. Even he almost never made her cry. 

"What happened? Where..." His eyes were drawn to the tear tracks on her cheeks.

"They did this to us," she hissed. "They drugged us and put us here like this." More sobs shook her body, and his. His mind wasn't fully working, and he was very unsure what was happening, but the sound of Usagi's tears penetrated the fog in his mind like nothing else could.

"Usagi? Why are you crying?" He lifted his head and upper chest, and that's when he realized where his lower half was, and what it was doing. In shock, he gasped, trying to figure out what had happened. Then her words began to penetrate his brain. Very slowly he pulled out of her and tried to roll to the side, but their bodies were trapped together, and she rolled with him.

"Did you say drugged?"

"Yes!" she hissed. "They drugged us and made us... made us..." She collapsed against his chest and continued sobbing. Vague, blurry images of Motoki practically forcing him to drink a chocolate shake filled his mind. He could remember being tied to a chair, and Usagi being afraid.

"Why would they do this to us?" he asked. He wrapped his arms around Usagi, who could barely breathe through her tears. "Are you okay?" He whispered when several long minutes had passed. He already knew she wasn't, but the words sort of fell out of his mouth anyway. 

She shook her head no and tried to speak. "I'm not... not a... not a virgin anymore," and the sentence ended with a despairing cry that hurt his heart far more than his head.

He gasped and then realized he wasn't either. "You aren't the only one," he whispered, trying to calm her.

"Why did they do this?" She asked, hurt, angry, and feeling betrayed.

"I don't know. I didn't realize they hated our fights that much." He struggled to undo the zipper on the sleeping bag. "Do you hear the ocean?"

She nodded, still silently weeping, thought the sobs had subsided.

"Usagi, I have to get out of this bag. I'm pretty sure I'm going to be sick."

"Me too," she moaned.

He swallowed hard as a wave of vomit tried to climb his throat. She turned carefully, giving him better access to the zipper, and a moment later they were both free.

He didn't even pause to take in his surroundings but leapt for the light of what appeared to be a doorway and out into the vividly bright daylight. He raced away and fell to his knees at the edge of a beach, where he was violently ill. Between his own heaves he could hear Usagi, also retching, barely a foot away from him.

Every time he thought he was done another wave hit him, and if his own illness weren't enough, Usagi's was worse. She was sobbing, which made the heaving worse, and she was shaking so bad she nearly fell into her own mess. After what felt like an eternity the two of the both crawled deeper down into the water to rinse their faces. 

When she noticed the blood on her thighs, and the white sticky leavings of his mess, she lost it completely. He made his way close to her, and simply laid a hand on her shoulder. She turned to him then and buried her head in his chest for a long minute before realizing they were both still naked. She leaped deeper into the water with a squeak, and he did the same, both blushing furiously.

It took more than an hour for her to finally leave the water, and he refused to leave her, though he hadn't looked directly at her since they'd both run onto the beach. He knew she was as naked as he and was trying his best to respect her. It was difficult though, to keep watch over someone when you couldn't look, and he saw much more of Usagi than he'd ever thought to see. Every blessed part of her.

When Usagi had made her way to shore Mamoru stood, praying she wasn't watching, and made his way back to what he now realized was a cave. To one side of the entrance was a small waterfall, which ended in a shallow stone basin. A tiny rivulet of water flowed out of that and towards the sea, large rocks lining its path.

He made his way to the cave, wondering what he would find. In his upset upon waking he'd never so much as looked around him. Now, he moved forward with determined steps. Anger fueled him, and the need to make sure his Odango was taken care of. She wasn't far behind him. He could hear her trudging footsteps in the sand.

Neither had noticed that there were more stones than sand closer to the shelter, and they began to hurt his feet, and he was sure hers as well. Finally, they made it inside and took a careful look around. The only enclosed containers were the water jugs and the cooler. He went for the cooler, hoping to find clothing inside.

Instead he found strawberries, a can of whipped cream, and a bottle of chocolate syrup. There were also some fruits and vegetables. None of which either of them could stomach right now if she felt as bad as he did. He put everything back, growling under his breath.

"So, no clothing then?" Usagi asked, her tone dejected.

"I'm sorry Odan- Usagi." He said, turning to look into her eyes. He was very careful not to glance lower. 

She sighed but turned to look at the shelves. There was a tin of saltine crackers and she reached for it, sharing them with Mamoru automatically.

He noticed the blood then. Her feet were bleeding. He caught her up and set her gently on the table before reaching for the tiny first aid kit. He cleaned the cuts on the bottoms of her feet with water and an alcohol wipe, which made her hiss in pain. He worried a band-aide would do her no good, so he used one of the pieces of gauze and wrapped it only twice.

He continued looking through the supplies when he was done. One thing worried him more than her cuts, or the small kit, though. He didn't see her medication anywhere. He searched high and low for it, looking in the cooler and the basket and through the food. He huffed a worried breath.

"Your meds aren't here," he whispered.

"I know," she sighed. "Wait. How did you...?"

"I've seen you take them a couple times, back before the girls were in the picture. I also put two and two together when you didn't gain weight no matter how much you ate. Thyroid, I assume."

Usagi nodded. She stood and looked around, wincing a little as her injured foot rested on the stone floor of the cave. "I can't believe they left us alcohol but not more food, or medication, or..." she stopped talking. "Why... why did they do... that?"

"I'm so sorry Usagi," he said, resting his forehead against hers. "I know this isn't the way you probably pictured your first time happening. Me either," he murmured. She sniffled. He bet she hadn't even realized she was still crying.

"I'm sorry too. I can't believe my friends did this to us."

"It wasn't just your friends," Mamoru murmured. "Do we want to read the letter?" He asked, turning with the white paper and the little plastic toy in his hand. Usagi stared and then snatched the toy before he could blink.

She pressed a button on the thing and the screen lit up with a message. It was Motoki and Minako.

"Hi guys, by now you probably know you are alone in your own paradise." Minako spoke, her voice laughing and light. "We're just about to leave the island, and it really is beautiful here. You can contact us with this, but really, everything you need to know is in the letter. I've included an inventory list and a pencil too so that you can keep track of food. You should have enough for a month, but that's only if Usagi can control herself." A giggle sounded and then the message ended.

Usagi let out the loudest, angriest scream he had ever heard before pressing the button again.

"I don't know what the hell you think you're doing, but you know I have RESPONSIBILITIES. You cannot leave us here like this! You come back and get us right this minute or I swear to Kami-sama I will hunt you down and kill you. Do you understand me Minako? I will take your head!"

She pressed the other button and tossed the thing back onto the table.

"Um, maybe the letter can wait," Mamoru said, his voice shaking. He'd never seen Usagi this way before. The tone of command in her voice, the anger, the threat which he was absolutely certain she meant every word of. He expected tears and pleas, not a declaration of murderous intentions.

She slumped suddenly, then turned and ran back out. He followed in time to see her getting sick again. A sigh escaped him as he noticed his own stomach rumbling again. Maybe it had been too soon to eat the saltines. He covered the tin again and raced out to the beach, falling to his knees next to her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
***Usagi's POV***

Usagi knew she had to control her temper. It was nearly out of control. She couldn't help the fierce anger and the heartache however. She stared out to sea for a long time, taking in the circle of islands theirs seemed to be a part of. 

If she was completely honest, she knew she would forgive her friends. It didn't make what they had done any better. It just meant she wouldn't let it get out of control. She couldn't imagine what she would say to the girls though. 

Now she was worried about a task closer at hand. She didn't have her brooch, wand, pen, or communicator. She had no way to protect herself or Mamoru. She also didn't have a lot of space to train. She couldn't let her skills wane. She had to start training, but she knew Mamoru wouldn't want to let her out of his sight. The feeling was mutual. She wished she could wave a wand and send them back home. 

She wished her friends had never done this to them. While she was wishing, she decided if she could make just one it would be to have a normal life. Being late for school, running into Mamoru's chest. Sucking down a chocolate milkshake, and perhaps even playing a few rounds of Sailor V. It would never happen, but she couldn't get the thought out of her head. 

She only hoped she could protect Mamoru while they were trapped alone together on the island. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
***Mamoru's POV***

Mamoru found a collapsible bucket with the supplies. He had a task in mind, and it meant he could avoid leaving Usagi alone. It wasn't that she wasn't smart. The problem was that neither of them had any experience in an environment such as they'd found themselves, and he couldn't bear the thought of not being near her if something were to happen. He had no idea if snakes and spiders lived on the island, but there were all sorts of dangers. 

When he reached the cave entrance he knelt and began to pick up the rocks he found. He gathered the sharpest rocks first. He wanted to make sure neither himself or Usagi had any more injuries to their feet. He watched as she stormed back and forth across the beach, and then she finally turned and moved toward him. She knelt beside him and began to help. 

Mamoru noticed a tilt to her head as she stared at the various types of rocks on the ground. They were very different. Some were rather smooth, probably they had been in the ocean, or the sand and rain had worked together to wear them down. 

"Why are some of these rocks so sharp?" she asked finally. 

"Those are igneous rocks." At her curious look he continued. "Igneous rocks are formed when magma or lava cools and hardens." 

"I thought magma and lava were the same thing," Usagi said, her voice soft. 

"Not really," he explained. "It's called magma when it's still under the surface. Once it comes out of the volcano it becomes lava. It's then exposed to air and the elements, which cool it down. Once it cools these rocks are formed."

"Then why are others so smooth?" she asked. 

Mamoru smiled and began to give her a lesson on the types of rocks that could be found, which led to questions about the cave they were taking shelter in. Over the course of the next hour the subject changed until they were talking about tectonic plates and underwater volcanoes. He found she was extremely curious, and sometimes they paused what they were doing so he could create diagrams in the sand with a thin stick. 

When they had finished making sure no more rocks could harm them, they carefully settled the rocks around the fire that had been laid for them, creating a shallow pit that would keep the fire from spreading to anything else. They talked as they worked, and he found himself thrilled that he could share information with her. He had known she was never unintelligent, but it was nice to see that she was actually interested in the subject. He had done a large study on rocks in his search for the Legendary Silver Crystal. That had led into other topics, such as the names of the four dark generals. 

Finally they wound down. 

"Do you think you could eat?" he asked. 

She paused as they walked into the ocean. It was the easiest way to get clean, but he still wished for simple soap and hot water. Their supply was meager however, and they couldn't waste it every time they had a task. 

"I don't know. We could try the saltines again," she said at length. 

They settled in the shade of a tall tree and opened the tin between them. 

"I'm really angry at our friends," he confessed, letting his hurt show through again. He didn't want to hide it from Usagi. Especially when she was probably feeling the same way. 

"Me too. I just wish I could shake them. I don't know why they did THAT to us. I mean..." she paused and lowered her voice, though there was no one around to hear. "It feels like we were... r-raped," she gulped, and he noticed a single tear sliding down her cheek. Lifting his hand he brushed it away with a finger. 

"We were." He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "We didn't give consent Usagi. We didn't get the chance. They drugged us." 

She nodded. "I mean, I could understand locking us in the storage room. Motoki's done that twice. But this?" She waved a hand as though trying to encompass the whole island. "What if a spider or a snake bites one of us. We could get sick if the food goes bad. Something could happen to the water supply. There are too many variables. I don't even know where we are." 

"Not to mention, it isn't like were on a break from school. We're both going to fall behind. You might even be held back a grade. I mean, I know you've been doing better recently, but still, with a month missing..." he trailed off and watched her nod. 

"And honestly, I doubt my father is going to buy the Art camp story. He's too overprotective. He would have gone with me and made sure none of the counselors were boys. Not to mention I still have to work on my grades. They never would have agreed, even if I had begged for a month straight." 

Mamoru nodded. He wished he could remember his parents. He imagined they probably would have been strict. Together they stood and went to collect firewood. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
***Usagi's POV***

It was late afternoon. The area was beautiful. The beach, the trees, the little waterfall, even the cave. If she'd been a normal girl or sitting at home watching a video of it all, listening to the birds and bugs and ocean waves she might have been in heaven. But Usagi wasn't just a normal girl, and she wasn't at home relaxing. No, she had responsibilities. She was Sailor Moon, and the city of Tokyo had had her as a protector for the past several months. She was the destroyer of Youma, the protector of the innocent. She, along with Sailors Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, and Venus, as well as her masked hero Tuxedo Kamen, had been doing their best to protect the city for months.

But now, she was here, betrayed by her own Senshi. And for what? A few arguments where no one ever really got hurt? Sure, she'd slapped Mamoru and had stomped on his foot, but it had been the first time she'd ever truly lost her temper with him. Before that only the occasional, accidentally thrown shoe, had caused any injuries, and those were superficial at best. Even Mamoru had laughed them off.

Usagi hoped she was done with the vomiting. At least this time it hadn't coated her hair. She moved closer to Mamoru, who was holding up the toothbrushes and toothpaste he had found in their supplies. He gave her the pink one and kept the blue for himself. She gave him a weak smile as he added the paste to each brush and standing together they cleaned their mouths out.

Mamoru was still acting a little weary around her, and she could understand why. Not only had they both lost their virginity this morning, but she had probably frightened him with her display of temper. Not to mention the fact that they had no clothing. Once they had both finished they took turns sipping enough from the cup to rinse their mouths out. Mamoru took the brushes and the paste and put them into the cup before moving back inside.

There were little niches on the walls, and small stone ledges. Food had been added to the large one over the table. Other areas held other things, such as the hairbrush next to the toothpaste cup, or the candles and the basket of things they had both agreed to ignore. They did take out two of the pillar candles though, and light them, as the sun was beginning to move downward, and though light came from the door and the small hole in the ceiling, it wasn't enough to see clearly.

As soon as the candles were lit, she and Mamoru folded the futon in half and moved it so that it sat in front of the table, where they sat to read the letter and go over the inventory list. Neither was hungry, so food itself would have to wait for later. Whatever they had been given had left them both with a massive headache, so she had been thankful to find aspirin. They both took two capsules.

Usagi ended up leaning her head on his shoulder so she could read the letter with him. He didn't say anything about it. She found the closeness comforting, even in her highly embarrassing nakedness. Mamoru pulled the sleeping bag over them for modesty though, and in a few minutes they were sitting quietly reading the short missive.

Dear Usagi-chan and Mamoru-san,

We didn't want to resort to these methods, but you have left us with little choice (Mamoru and Usagi both snorted at this). We have tried to get you both to stop the arguing and realize you have feelings for each other, but after three months we've about lost hope. We are doing this for your own good. You two belong together and if this is the only way to get you both to see that, then it's what we are going to do.  
You will be on your own private island for one month to the day (Usagi gasped in anger and fear. The girls couldn't fight without her that long). In that time, we hope you learn just how much you need each other. And how much you already care about each other. You have everything you need to survive. Makoto made a list of everything we left you for food, and we have added items for safety as well, including a first aid kit (Usagi wondered about stealing the gauze from it to cover themselves but shook her head. It might be needed, and they couldn't waste it).  
Oh, and Usagi, sorry about your hair. In my defense it was Rei's idea.  
Motoki

P.S. Ami has asked that we tell you she was in no way involved, and that we locked her up. That's true. She was going to tell you our plan. She also wanted me to tell you that the sickness should last about twelve hours. She interfered because I guess we were using too much of the stuff to knock you out. I hope it's just enough to get rid of your inhibitions and get you in the sack. Literally.  
Please use the stuff I gave you in the basket. Also, enjoy the strawberries, whipped cream, and chocolate!  
Minako

PPS. Usagi, your family will be told you are studying art at a sleepaway cram school. I thought that was a stupid idea, but Minako thinks they'll buy it.  
Rei

PPPS. Hey, I made you some cookies and biscuits. They are in the purple tins and aren't on the inventory list because they are just for whenever. I am really going to miss you. I'm not sure this is the best idea, but I guess if it's meant to be, then we have to. I still think that if its destiny or something it will just happen.  
Makoto

Below everything else, scrawled nearly illegibly, was another message, this one hastily written. It was another note from Makoto.

I stopped them from cutting your hair! I just couldn't let that happen. I miss you already. 

Usagi broke into a storm of weeping and Mamoru pulled her against his chest. When she still didn't calm he picked her up and put her right in his lap. She clung to him, holding tight. He could hear her murmuring and leaned closer to find out what she was saying.

"Not my friends. Not my friends. Not anymore. Not my friends." He hugged her tight and held her close, rocking her from side to side, whispering apologies for what had been done to her, to them. They'd been betrayed by people they'd cared about, put their faith in.

There really was no way to forgive them. Was there?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
***Mamoru's POV***

As night fell the air cooled drastically. He felt Usagi shiver for the third time in as many minutes and wrapped his arm around her. Sitting up, it was impossible to be completely covered by the sleeping bag. Finally, he suggested they go to bed early, hoping they would feel better in the morning. It couldn't have been much later than eight-thirty in the evening, but they were both feeling the after effects of the drugs they had been given.

At first they tried sleeping with the bag open and on top of them, but it kept slipping away to one side or the other, and neither could get comfortable. They tried laying on their backs, then on their sides, turned away from one another, and even tried spooning, hoping if they tucked the cover under knees or elbows they could keep it over them. But nothing worked.

The futon had an attached pillow roll, and they tried sticking it underneath, but that didn't work either. Finally, Usagi huffed and said they had no choice. So, they both got up and zipped the bag partway, centering it in the middle of the bed carefully. Mamoru got in first, furthest from the zipper, and lay on his side, facing the opening. Usagi crawled in after him, her back to his chest, and she zipped the bag after before snuggling into him.

He complained because her bottom and feet were cold, but they soon warmed. It was other issues that kept Mamoru awake long after she had begun to lightly snore. The issues revolved around his desire for her, though he would never take advantage of her that way. He was trying to focus on long division in his head when Usagi began rubbing against his erection in her sleep.

Mamoru groaned. "This is going to be a long night," he whispered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to say what happened between Usagi and Mamoru is not their fault. They were drugged which mean there was no consent for either of them.


	3. October 2: Challenges

Usagi woke up warm and comfortable. There were only two downsides she could find to sleeping naked against another person. One was that after hours of being pressed together their skin actually stuck to one another's and pulling away was uncomfortable. Also, there was the matter of his arousal pressed between her legs in the V between her thighs. Her core had slicked itself in response, but she was not ready for anything of the sort. She had to wiggle out from under his arms before she very slowly lowered the zipper on the sleeping bag and pulled herself out. She sighed and zipped it closed behind her.

She turned to look at him, noting that the circle of sunlight which had awoken her was slowly moving toward him as the sun rose in the sky. It wouldn't be long before he woke as well. She hoped he'd slept well. She turned and walked out of their shelter to find a place to use the restroom. She didn't want to be too close when she did. It posed health risks. Mamoru had explained that to her the day before.

There was little cover on the island, though there were few tall trees that provided some shade from the ever-present sunlight. Usagi didn't know much about the wildlife or plant life on any of the islands, though she had to assume there were probably dangerous creatures, most of them tiny.

Spiders and snakes and other icky things, in her mind, did not belong anywhere she was. She wished desperately to be back in Tokyo. She knew the wildlife and plants in the parks, and more importantly, she knew said wildlife would stay out of her bedroom. And if it didn't her father would come and rescue her from the scary spiders.

As soon as she had finished she walked out into the ocean to clean herself. She wasn't willing to risk the few leaves that were available. She smiled as she saw Mamoru come out of the shelter stretching his arms above his head. He grinned at her, and Usagi realized they hadn't fought the day before. Not once. She was happy about that.

She was also feeling less self-conscious about her nakedness. He really was being a gentleman about it. She floated in the water for a few minutes, soaking her hair, before she walked back onto the beach. Her hair long hair dripped, and she pulled it forward to wring it out. As she approached Mamoru she noticed he was carefully avoiding looking at her body. She smiled. He was being respectful, and she was doing the same.

"Morning Odango," he said with a soft smile.

"Morning Baka," she said with a grin.

"Feeling better?" he asked.

She nodded. "I'm hungry," she admitted. She'd looked through their food only briefly the day before, but she was sure there was something there that didn't have to be cooked. She was worried about their supplies. Hadn't the others noticed there was no electricity on the island to keep things fresh? They would have to use the perishable foods rather quickly.

"There are tons of protein bars in there. Maybe you should have a couple." Mamoru said. "I'll be back in a few minutes." She knew he was going off to relieve himself.

She nodded again and went into the shelter to find something to eat. Mamoru returned as she was finishing her second protein bar. He sat on the futon and ate the protein bars she tossed to him.

"You need more than two," he said, looking at the wrappers.

"I checked the inventory list Mamoru. We don't have enough for me to eat that many." She grinned at him. "So, what do we need to do today. I'm sure there's more to do then sit in here and eat. I want to help."

Mamoru grinned at her. "There are tons of things we should probably do. So much of what they left us won't last long. Really only the protein bars and canned foods will go any distance."

Usagi pulled out everything they had and looked through it. "So then we use what is perishable first," she said with a frown as she gazed over the meager supply.

She sighed when she realized half their supplies were perishables. It looked as though Makoto had prepared several meals that only needed to be put over the fire to warm. There was a little metal rack they could be placed on to heat. There was no way those supplies would last. She spread everything out, sorting them into groups, and looked up to meet Mamoru's eyes.

"I think we're in trouble," she said finally.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
***Mamoru's POV***

He was angry. More angry than he could ever remember being. They would have to use half their supplies within the first week, or let them go to waste. The fear in Usagi's eyes as she stared at him tore him apart. He wished he could just sweep in and pull her out of danger the way he did for Sailor Moon. His eyes scanned the cave and he sighed. There were no hidden reserves of canned goods or anything else that was useful. He knew he had a couple pieces of gum in his subspace pocket, and maybe a first aid kit. But nothing else.

He sighed. "Well, first we need to collect wood and anything else we can find that might be useful. Vines or leaves..."

Usagi cut him off. "Do you know what poison ivy looks like? Or any of the other poisonous leaves?"

Mamoru shook his head. He hadn't thought of that. He heard her sigh and her murmured, "I don't either." He wished he could just pull her into his lap and cuddle her fears away, but he couldn't.

"I do think we have to do most of our work in the mornings. It's hotter here than on the mainland," he added at her confused look. "The afternoons we can hang out or even try to do some lessons. I can help you with your English and math and you can help me with interpersonal skills."

"Interpersonal skills?" she asked with a grin. "That might be a good idea. Of course... I'm the only one you ever tease. Most people think you're really nice."

"Not as nice as you," he said, frowning. "And I want to be a doctor."

"I know," Usagi reminded him. "I think it's perfect for you." She gave him a strange look and began to gather everything up again.

"So, they left us things to go fishing with, and then if we wash out the bucket we can maybe look around the island and see if there are any fruits we can collect."

Mamoru had every intention of making sure there were fruits. He could create more than just roses after all, and there was no way he was going to let Usagi starve. First though he wanted to see what was on the island already. It was likely there were some things they could eat.

"What about the water?" Usagi asked. "There may not be enough to purify it for cooking as well as drinking." She heaved a sigh. "They really didn't think this through. If Ami had been in charge..." she let the sentence hang, but he knew what she was thinking. Ami would have made sure most of their supplies were canned and that they had more than enough to last a month. Unfortunately that wasn't the case, and they would have to work together to survive.

He helped her put the supplies away, tucking the second protein bar back in with the others before she could see. Usagi would need those more than him. They grabbed the bucket and went out, looking around the beach and the area close to it, which had a section of trees and even grass they could rest on.

"Driftwood first?" he asked.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
***Usagi's POV***

Usagi's mind was racing. She knew there were major issues with surviving, but for some reason she couldn't get over the way Mamoru's bottom stretched when he bent over to gather one of the pieces of driftwood. They found several very large pieces and hauled them up the beach to the area in front of their cave, setting them to the side. They would probably use them as seats because they didn't have an ax. Which meant they couldn't chop more firewood if it was needed.

The smaller pieces all went into a neat pile inside the cave. Someone had already started a stack, but they added and added to it throughout the day, sorting the pieces by size and type so that they had kindling if the fire went out. She had been extremely grateful to find a box of matches the day before, but she was sure they should avoid using them unless the fire was out completely. Small twigs or grass could probably be used to light the candles in the evening, so she made an effort to collect long grass as well.

Mamoru was ahead of her again, and she watched as he stretched, her eyes drawn to his toned chest and belly, and then further down. Blushing she averted her gaze. She would have to control herself. He couldn't find out she was in love with him. It would change the way they acted and then the Negaverse might discover it if they learned her identity. She didn't mind the friendship that was growing between them, but she would have to have a serious conversation with him about not changing their behavior once they reached the safety of Tokyo again.

It was nearing noon, she knew, and they needed to stop and take a break. She hollered out to him and nodded toward the cave. He smiled at her and hurried to meet her on the short walk, carrying the bucket with the driftwood he had collected. They had an entire island to search, but for now they were sticking close to home. He was so gorgeous she wanted to just throw herself to the ground in front of him and beg him to make her feel the way she had in her dream. Shaking her head she plastered on a smile as he approached.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
***Mamoru's POV***

Mamoru was struggling more than he thought possible. His eyes kept being drawn to the perfection that was Usagi's naked body. Her breasts were pert, large, slightly upturned, with dark pink nipples. Her belly was concave, her belly button tiny, her hips beautifully rounded, though thinner than he would have thought. Her pubic mound was covered with a tiny thatch of blonde hair, and her lower lips called to him with a hint of glistening moisture. Her bottom was well rounded, but small and perfect. Her hair teased her skin, flowing around her with every breeze. She arched her back, stretching, as the constant motion of bending for driftwood made her muscles ache, and every time she bent over he could see the glistening pink flesh between her legs.

He was in pain. His cock had throbbed all morning, his balls hard and tight, and several times he had to immerse himself in the ocean to cool his ardor. He wanted her more than he could believe, and the lack of her was as emotionally painful as it was physically. He wanted to hold her, to kiss and touch her.

Finally, after several long hours of work, he had to take a break from her. He told her he needed some alone time and let her assume he meant he had to use the restroom. He walked away, finding an alcove in the rock where he could hide and let his mind wander to the dream he'd had in his drugged state. He played the memory of her inner walls squeezing his cock and rubbed himself, enjoying the idea of being with her, buried deep, quickly finding release.

He hurried back to her as soon as he was sure none of his mess had gotten on himself, and went into the cave where she was preparing one of the premade meals for their lunch. She had already set up the little metal rack and had one of the tins on top of it. She searched through the cooler, bent over, and he could see every blessed inch of her. He almost ran back out as his body roared to life again.

Instead he busied himself around the fire. Thankfully Usagi had some knowledge of how to keep it burning and what she called banking the coals. He didn't understand much of that. All he knew was that if there were flames, the fire was burning. With a sigh he added a few pieces to the flames and watched as the contents of the tin began to heat. It was mostly rice with some sort of meat and a thick sauce over it. There were vegetables mixed in as well thankfully. He stirred the contents, mixing the sauce into the rice.

"Makoto made it, so I'm sure it will taste great," Usagi said, coming up behind him. "We could do with a few more vegetables, but it should be pretty good."

Mamoru nodded, unable to speak as she leaned over and he got a view of her breasts swinging. His body tightened and he gulped, wanting to pull her down to the futon and take her again and again. He shuddered. He couldn't take the chance that the Negaverse might find him and if they did, they would go for anyone he cared about. That thought was enough to hold him back.

After about twenty minutes the food was done and they began to eat. There was more than enough for one meal, but he suggested they finish all of it. They had more meals they had to get through before they went bad, and he didn't want to take any chances. Usagi was too precious to him. If she got food poisoning she could get so sick she might die, and the thought broke his heart.

When they had finished eating he took washing duty because she said she needed a few minutes alone. He nodded and went to collect some water and began to scrub.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
***Usagi's POV***

Usagi used the few minutes she had wisely. It was hot, the sun high overhead, but she had to work in a few minutes of stretching and strength training before he finished the dishes. She hurried away along the beach until she came to an area where the stone of the mountainous outcrop opened into a V, leaving a small area hidden from view of their beach. The space wasn't large, perhaps twenty feet across and ten feet deep, but the walls to either side were high and there was a lovely view of the ocean.

She hurried through her stretches. They had become routine over time. None of the other girls had to work like she did to gain and keep their strength, and if her thyroid was about to go overactive again she knew she was going to lose much of what she had gained. Carefully she moved from stretches into her tai chi balancing practice, and then relaxed her muscles and shook her legs and arms before she ran from one cliff wall to the other several times.

She fell to the sand and began her push ups, then her sit ups, and moved into the rolls and flips she had begun to learn. Luna had been working with her for several hours a day for months now. It was their secret, and she was very pleased with the results. She didn't scream and run during battles anymore, and she was proud of that. But without being able to transform she couldn't practice her attacks.

She hastily hurried to the ocean and swam for a few minutes to get the tell-tale sweat off her body. If Mamoru realized what she was doing she was sure he would ask questions, and she couldn't let him figure out who she was.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
***Mamoru's POV***

He couldn't take it anymore. Usagi had been missing for nearly an hour, and not being able to see her and know that she was alright made him itch. He hurried away from the cave and looked for her. His eyes trailed up to the side of the rocky outcropping. Perhaps if he climbed up he could see where she had gone. If she was hurt he needed to get to her fast.

With a sigh he put his foot on one of the ledges, and then the next, and the next. It was almost like a staircase, though sometimes he had to use his hands as well. Finally he reached the top and looked out at the world around him. The island was beautiful. Perhaps a mile across, and surrounded by the light blue of the ocean over sand. There were tons of trees and bushes on the other side, and he knew at some point he and Usagi would have to go and investigate them.

First however, he had to find her and make sure she was alright. He heard a thumping sound far below him to the side of the outcropping away from the cave and moved closer to the edge. Peering down at an amazing sight, his jaw dropped and he nearly fell over backwards. Usagi was below him, working out. She was doing some sort of modified sit up where she turned her body from one side to the other as she rose. Her breasts flattened against her legs, and then she fell back to the sand before doing it again, her body going to the other side.

He sat, staring down at her, and watched in fascination as she seemed to shake herself before her whole body sprang backwards in the sand, her hands meeting the ground and her legs flipping up into the air. Then her feet hit the earth and her hands rose and again her feet were in the air, then her hands. She completed four backflips before she stopped and did a strange cartwheel that did not involve her hands.

He was amazed, impressed, floored. Usagi was incredible. She was fast and lithe and beautiful. He shook his head. She shouldn't be using her energy in such a way. Especially not in this heat, and right after eating. His eyes followed as she moved to the water to rinse herself. He hurried to stand and moved back so she wouldn't see him if she looked up.

Turning away he frowned. There was more to Usagi than he had ever guessed.

Fifteen minutes later they were both back on the beach, neither speaking of their time apart. They settled in and began working on her English.

"Okay, I want you to look at these words and tell me what they mean," he said as he began drawing them in the sand with a thin stick.

Your. You're.

Usagi gave him a blank look after staring at the two words for a long time. "I'm not good at this," she confessed.

"Let me give you a hint. You see this apostrophe?"

Usagi nodded.

"An apostrophe in a word like this means that it is a contraction. A contraction is two words sort of smashed together to make one word."

Usagi frowned and pointed at 'you're' with a frown. "So the first word is you?" she asked. When he nodded she scrunched her eyebrows in concentration. He wanted to kiss them. Shaking his head to clear it, he focused. "The second word is..."

After several minutes he helped her. "Are."

"So it means you are?" she asked. "Why don't they just say that?"

Mamoru shrugged. "I'm not sure. I think some people must talk fast and it just happened over time. Now most people use contractions when they speak out loud."

"Oh. So this word means you are, and the other word 'your' means something that..." she paused. "I think I know this. It's something that belongs to you, right?"

Mamoru grinned. "Exactly!" she said with a huge grin. He couldn't help being proud of her. The English language was considered one of the hardest to learn.

"Now, lets look at another set of words," he said, and began scratching them into the sand.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
***Usagi's POV***

Usagi was wondering if girls could suffer pain from lack of sex. She'd never wanted someone so badly before. All day, as they'd worked together she'd felt his eyes on her. And whenever she caught a glimpse of him she could see his arousal. She was a good girl, but she'd had a taste of what pleasure could be had, and now she wanted to feel it again.

The trouble was she was completely unversed in the art of dating, or even attraction. She'd only had a couple of crushes, and those harmless, before Mamoru had caught her eye. And with him there was more than just attraction. There was an underlying need to know him, to understand why he thought, acted, and felt the way he did. There was a need to be near him, even if it was only to be teased. That was why she hadn't started avoiding him as Rei had once suggested.

Evening was creeping in when Mamoru said he needed a few minutes alone for the second time. She went off looking for a handy spot to hide herself in and found a place with a touch of grass beneath two tall shady trees. She laid down and stared up at the green above her, hints of blue sneaking through when the breeze teased the leaves.

Usagi was torn. She was so attracted to Mamoru. She wanted to be with him. She wanted his hands all over her and hers all over him. But she also wanted to keep him safe. She sighed, picturing what it would be like if he grabbed her and kissed her.

She didn't even notice her hands had crept to her breasts until she was tweaking her nipples. She moved one hand down and found the little nub she remembered feeling him touch in their sleep. She thought about the dream as she moved her finger over the flesh until she released a moment later. She let out a relieved sigh.

She heard footsteps approaching and closed her eyes, pretending to nap. It was that or get up guiltily and run away red-faced. And there was nowhere to run away to! The only shelter she knew of was the one she shared with Mamoru. The only place of safety, relative warmth, and food. And it was the only place with him. She didn't want to run away, and so she kept her eyes shut, even as he sat down next to her on the grass.

"Have we heard anything yet?" She asked, her voice rigid with both sexual frustration and anger at their friends.

"Not a damned word," he answered.

"I'm going to kill them," Usagi muttered.

"I'll help," he muttered, and she couldn't stop the giggle that bubbled up.

He let out a soft sigh beside her, and she felt his hand in one of her long, messy locks of hair. She peeked her eyes open and saw him staring at her face. Caught, she stared back at him. She didn't know what to say, so she said nothing at all. She felt the heat rise to her face but continued to gaze into his eyes. And she could see it there, in the darkening of his eyes, the flare of his nostrils, the clenching of his jaw. He was struggling with this desire just as much as she was.

There was only one conclusion. He'd realized she wasn't worthy of him. A single tear slipped from her eye and trailed down her face, towards her ear, then slipped off and fell soundlessly to the grass. His hand moved, and he wiped gently at the trail left in its wake. He blinked, and then he was moving, his head lowering towards hers slowly.

Ten million years passed in the ten seconds it took for his lips to reach hers. Soft, gentle touches of his mouth, chaste and sweet. He pulled back, just for a second, to look into her eyes. She smiled up at him, a little dazed. Her first kiss. And it had been better than anything she'd ever imagined. When he saw her smile, he bent again and took her lips possessively.

The rub of his tongue over her bottom lip caused her to open for him instinctively. His tongue entered her mouth and she gasped. He tasted like peanut butter from the protein bars. His tongue explored, touching the roof of her mouth, her tongue, her cheeks, even her teeth, as though he was learning every inch of her. She blushed and then bravely met his tongue with her own. He curled his around hers, pulling back slightly until she followed it into his own mouth and memorized him in turn.

They parted to breathe before he was back, now a little more forcefully, and she felt as though he was possessing her, taking her, and making her his. She shivered in response. Her arms slid up around his neck, her fingers twining in his hair. His hand rested on her neck as he pulled her even closer.

When they parted again he rested his forehead against hers, panting heavily. "I've wanted to do that for months," he admitted.

Usagi gulped. "Me too," she whispered.

The mood could have turned awkward then, but Mamoru was busy playing with her hair and hit a snag. "I found some shampoo, and there is a brush." If you want to wash your hair, I can brush it for you." He blushed a little as he said it, but Usagi smiled.

"I'd love that," she admitted.

Her only real fear was what would happen when they returned to the city. She couldn't put him in danger if someone discovered she was Sailor Moon. They would have to hide their relationship if possible. There was only one explanation she could give that would convince him. She'd have to tell him who she was.

He stood and reached out a hand to help her to her feet. She smiled up at him and went to the spring to gather some water. Taking her buns down felt nice. There was sand mixed into her hair and she shook out the strands.

She used the now clean tin to heat water over the fire before adding it to the larger amount she'd collected in the collapsible bucket. It was nice and warm and she bent over to put her head in the water. She wet all her hair, sighing at the sensation of heat on her scalp and began the process of lathering the long strands. It took quite some time and she was careful about how much of the shampoo she used, but she made it work.

When she was done there was a small layer of wet sand at the bottom of the bucket. She laughed, looking down into it, and pointed it out to Mamoru. He gave her a halfhearted grin as he picked up the bucket to empty it away from the cave.

She moved to the spring and ducked her head under the cold water flowing over the side. Shivers took her body as the freezing water hit her head and shoulders. Hurriedly she rinsed the last of the soap away and went back into the cave, huddling next to the fire for warmth.

Warm arms came around her and she shivered as Mamoru pressed his body up against hers, the curtain of wet hair between them. He also shivered as the chilled strands touched him.

"There isn't a towel, and I don't want to get the sleeping bag wet," she explained.

Mamoru stepped back and led her outside. Once there he took her hair in his hands and began wringing it out over the sand. Then they sat on one of the rocky steps that led up the side of the mountainous area and he began brushing her hair slowly, starting at the very bottom. It felt so nice having his fingers and the brush running over her.

"I've liked you for a long time," Mamoru said suddenly, breaking the companionable silence.

"Me too," she told him, enjoying the way his hand ran over the top of her head as he worked the brush through her long hair.

"But…" Mamoru paused, working through a knot. "I'm not the most happy person. I haven't been for a long time. I guess I worried I wouldn't be good for you."

Usagi turned then and took his face in her hands. "Mamoru, being unhappy doesn't make you a bad person," she insisted. She kissed his cheek and turned back to look out over the ocean. "I'm not exactly sad," she said, then snorted as the understatement hit her. "I'm childish and clumsy and wild."

"That's a big part of why I like you," Mamoru said, and kissed her shoulder.

"Really?" she asked, feeling a bit dazed. She bit her lip. Maybe a relationship between them could work after all. She would just have to tell him they had to hide it when they returned home. That meant she would have to tell him why.

Silence took them for a few minutes as he continued to work on her hair. By the time he was done it was starting to get dark. He gave her a kiss and told her he was going in to make them something to eat. She smiled at him and their hands touched briefly as they parted. Without thought her hands begand the work of putting her hair into her signature style.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
***Mamoru's POV***

There was nothing better in the world than holding his Odango as she fell asleep. He'd never been as happy as he was now. His smile was so wide, and had been there so long, that his cheeks ached. While he knew it would be difficult to fall asleep with her cute little bottom nestled against him, he didn't really mind. He was enjoying it too much. They'd had a good evening.

She'd washed her hair, and then let him brush it until it dried before she'd put it up in her odangoes. They'd kissed on and off throughout the process. He'd told her about how he'd struggled with his attraction for her, thinking that she wouldn't be happy with someone like him, who was too cynical and jaded, and preferred to be alone studying rather than out with friends. She confessed to feeling like he thought she was too immature.

Then the two of them had worked together to heat up one of the premade meals. It had been in a tin dish, a disposable one, though they'd decided to keep the pan rather than throwing it away, even though there were almost a dozen more just like it. They couldn't be sure they wouldn't need it at some point.

With a few pillar candles lit for light, they'd talked and laughed for a bit until he'd suggested they go to sleep. He was certain she'd blushed, but he'd promised not to push for anything before she was ready, and she'd been less hesitant after that. They'd kissed and cuddled for a long time, before she had started drifting to sleep.

He was so happy he felt he could burst.

His anger had dwindled as her kisses had made him happy. If it wasn't for his responsibility to Sailor Moon, and his worry about the dangers on the island, he would want to stay here with her forever.

His only other worry was what would happen when they returned to Tokyo. He would have to convince her to keep their blossoming relationship private. Which meant he had to find a way to tell her who he was.


	4. October 3: On The Island

***Usagi's POV***

Waking up before Mamoru was already becoming a habit. The first morning he'd still been heavily drugged, and she'd had to pee because he was pressing on her bladder. But the day before and this morning, it was due to the sunlight coming in through the little hole in the roof of the cave.

She had to admit she enjoyed being held in her sleep. His arm was still wrapped around her belly, and when she began the process of unsticking their skin, he tightened his hold possessively for a second before relaxing. His snores were light and even, and she found them cute. When she'd wriggled out of his hold and climbed out of the bag she went out to relieve herself and take a dip in the ocean.

It was quite nice actually, having a few minutes to herself in the morning. There was no worry about running all the way to school. No concern about fighting Youma or trying to find her homework or avoiding Shingo's pranks. Everything was peaceful and still, except the ocean, though the sound and motion of the waves was soothing. She felt relaxed.

And that worried her. She knew she had to find a way to continue training, or when she returned to Tokyo she would be a liability. She'd managed to sneak in an hour or so, but she was going to get weaker and weaker as the month progressed, and it would take time to get back into fighting form.

And Mamoru… He didn't think she saw him replace the protein bar, or slide more food into her bowl when they ate. He didn't realize she saw him holding himself back to give her time to prepare for more. He wanted her… when she was awake and willing.

That thought brought her anger back to the surface. There was a lot to be angry about. In a big way the girls and Motoki had betrayed her and Mamoru. And they had stolen something precious from them.

As much as she'd thought about being with Mamoru, being drugged and stuffed naked together into a sleeping bag hadn't entered her thoughts. No, she'd envisioned candlelight and music and being together with the moon shining down on them. Most importantly, she'd wanted to cherish the memory of it forever. Instead she had a dream to remember. A vague dream at that. It wasn't right, or fair to either of them.

When they did take that step, and she was sure they would, she wanted it to be a good memory. She didn't want to be nervous or scared. If their relationship had progressed in the normal way, they probably would have stayed in the making out stage for weeks, perhaps months, with the touches growing more and more intimate as time went on.

She sighed as she floated on the water. She was worried about school, and her family, and the other Senshi having to face Youma without her. She had so many things on her mind, and a relationship with Mamoru, though at the top, honestly wasn't the most important. She was Sailor Moon, and that came with responsibilities. It had taken her a while to adjust to that, and to the role of leader. And now the girls were alone.

And Ami at least, was probably not happy with the others, which meant there would be other issues. She hoped they could get past that and work together however. They needed each other. Teamwork was essential in a fight.

She wondered if it was the right time to tell Mamoru who she was. It could put him in danger. That's what Luna always said. It was the reason she'd hidden the truth from her family. But now she wasn't so sure. She thought perhaps if she could talk to him about it, and he could understand, then she wouldn't feel as worried. They could hide what they had, and it would keep him safe.

She stood, noticed Mamoru on the beach, and made her way toward him. He was so handsome. The light glinted off his hair. His eyes blazed with affection for her. His strong jaw looked good enough to bite, and he was worrying his lower lip with his teeth as though he was thinking over something serious. She smiled at him and moved to hug him, giving him a kiss as well.

"Morning," she whispered, when she pulled away to catch her breath.

"Good morning," he said, then wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in for another kiss.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
***Mamoru's POV***

When he finally forced himself to stop kissing Usagi senseless he handed her two protein bars. He'd eaten one himself before coming out of the cave. He needed to go relieve his bladder, but the sight of Usagi's long hair floating on the waves and the sunlight glistening on her damp skin had made him stop and stare.

He wanted to pull her back inside and make passionate love to her for about a year. With a sigh he let her go and took a single step back. She wasn't ready for that, even if she thought she was.

He'd woken from another strange dream. His princess dreams had changed, almost disappearing completely, but occasionally he would find himself under the balcony again, staring up at a weeping princess who was begging not to remember. In a way the princess reminded him of Usagi.

The little blonde wasn't really facing what had happened to them yet. He knew she thought about it, but he was aware she wasn't thinking about the possible consequences. He was. In fact, it was all he had thought about when he'd woken during the night.

What if his little Odango Atama had gotten pregnant?

She was sixteen to his eighteen. At least he would be able to go to her father and explain what had happened so that he could ask for her hand in marriage. But it didn't change the fact that it would alter the course of her life.

What was strange was that the thought of fathering a child didn't frighten him. In fact, he was quite thrilled with the possibility of being a dad. As long as Usagi was the mom, anyway. But she was so young.

When the thought had hit him in the darkness he'd been overjoyed until he had considered the consequences. He didn't know how it would affect her own dreams. His, of becoming a doctor, were nearly assured. But at sixteen, would she be able to go to school if she was pregnant? Would she be able to take the extra classes in art and Kanji? Would she be able to attend with an infant depending on her?

He supposed he could take a year off before going to college to help her. And perhaps her own parents would help. But that wasn't always the case, even in a situation as messed up as theirs. They might try to force her into aborting the baby or giving it up for adoption.

No, it was probably better if she wasn't pregnant. He just didn't hold out much hope for that. He knew almost everything about his little bunny. Including her cycle.

Was it possible it had been their friend's intention for her to get pregnant? Why would they do that?

Usagi's voice broke him out of his thoughts. She looked up at him, concerned, her brow furrowed and a small frown on her face. Her eyes gleamed with some emotion he couldn't yet understand.

With a sigh he ran his fingers through his hair and pulled her back into his arms for another brief kiss. "I'll be right back," he promised, before going to relieve himself. His bladder ached, but he'd needed to see her first.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
***Usagi's POV***

"What's on the agenda for this morning?" Usagi asked.

"I'm thinking we don't know if or when a storm will come and wash away what is on the beach. I thought perhaps we could search the shore and see if we can find anything useful. Shells or stones or driftwood. And maybe we can dig for clams. We could probably cook them in one of the tins."

Usagi giggled at the thought of cooking clams. She wasn't a fan of seafood, but at this point she knew she had to eat. The problem was, Usagi couldn't really cook. It was a running joke in her family. She'd once tried to make a curry rice dinner for them and had put in twice the amount of the flavorful spice than was required.

"Lets bring the bucket and go further down," she suggested. "We've cleared most of what was near us already. I want to find a conch shell," she said with a grin.

She'd always wanted one. Shingo and Usagi had often spent hours combing the beach on their family vacations looking for a conch shell and had never found one, so she didn't hold out much hope. But she wanted to see if they really made the sounds she had heard in movies.

"That would be a great way to signal one another," Mamoru said, sounding far too serious. Usagi couldn't help but giggle and hug him. He looked so grown up trying to take care of her. She hadn't thought it was possible to love him even more than she already did, but each day he showed her another new caring trait and she couldn't help falling deeper and deeper.

They walked to the cave for the bucket and began the trek over the shore line. Small shells were everywhere, most of them not very useful, but they were pretty, so she collected them anyway. Maybe when they returned to Tokyo she could take them to a jewelry shop and have holes drilled into them. She could make necklaces for her family and friends.

She was still feeling rather sick, and though they had eaten, she wasn't sure what to do about it. Ami had said the sickness would last about two days, and they were well into their third. She knew Mamoru wasn't feeling well either, even though he was trying to hide it from her and show nothing but strength. He really was an incredible support.

"Lets gather all these clams," Mamoru said suddenly. She looked to where he was pointing and pulled out the disposable tin he'd put in the bucket. Gathering sea water, she knelt down and began gathering the cluster of them. They dug with their spoons around the little holes. The tide was still out for the moment and the mixture of sand and rock and water was messy. Their legs and arms were quickly coated.

Usagi giggled and threw a handful of mud at Mamoru's chest. He playfully growled and tackled her, rubbing mud over her belly and even her breasts. She couldn't hide the moan when his fingers brushed her nipple. His eyes dilated and he stared at her, suddenly very still, before he lowered his mouth to hers. The kiss was beautiful and sweet with a hint of banked passion. She felt his tongue brush along her lower lip and opened for him, but he groaned and pulled away.

A moment later she sat up and returned to the digging, this time ignoring the spoon and using her fingers. "Do you know how to cook these?" she asked, unsure how to act after their moment. She felt awkward and confused. Why had he stopped kissing her? Why hadn't he continued to play and let the moment happen? Was he still trying to protect her?

With a groan of sheer frustration she stood and picked up the tray, moving further down the beach. She suddenly felt very shy and didn't want him looking at her. She knew her chest and face were a bright pink with embarrassment.

It only made sense to run to the water. She hurried across the sand and let the cool ocean waves bathe her in their calm. Ducking her face under she opened her eyes and was met with an entirely new world. Though her eyes stung, she kept them open, staring in awe. Where there were large rocks she could see urchins and seastars and strange tiny fish in the crevices. There were different colored plants, sea weed and kelp and all sorts of things she didn't know the names of. Sea snails hid among the rocks and she loved the way they moved so slowly.

When she finally lifted her head and turned back Mamoru was just behind her, his mouth drawn down in a frown.

"Usako," he whispered, and gathered her into his arms. "I… we… I don't think we're ready yet," he murmured into her neck. "I want to… so bad," he added. "But…"

He was obviously struggling to explain, and she understood. While her feelings had been hurt she could understand why he was waiting. She lifted his face and kissed him, keeping it light and gentle.

"It's okay Mamo-chan," she said. "I understand. You're right. It has to be when we are both really ready," she added.

Together they made for the beach and continued their search.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
***Mamoru's POV***

Mamoru smiled at Usagi's enthusiasm. She wanted to help with everything, wanted to learn as much as she could. Neither of them were feeling very well yet, but at least they'd eaten a bit. They had many chores throughout the day to make sure their needs were met, and though they were still learning their way, they'd both worked their butts off the day before, and all morning.

They had been gathering things off the beach. Anything they thought might be useful. Shells, stones, wood. They were collecting clams in the tin tray they'd saved the night before, filled with seawater, it made a good tool for them. Mamoru wanted to try his hand at fishing, but he'd never done it before. The two of them talked about it while they worked and decided they would wait until the following day and start first thing in the morning.

The man concern he was facing was that a shift in the wind seemed to have brought millions of misquitos to the beach. They lit a few smoky fires near the cave, using green branches and wood. Usagi told him it was what her father would have done, and he was thankful she had the knowledge.

He taught her about riptides and how to avoid them, or survive them if she did get caught by swimming parallel to the shore. She told him about all the things she had seen under the water and they decided they would take a closer look later when they had more time.

Mamoru was concerned about what was happening back in Tokyo. He was missing classes, and what if something happened to Sailor Moon because he wasn't there to protect her? She had become a good fighter over time, but because she had to be the one to destroy the Youma she often got much closer to the Youma than the other Senshi, which meant it was more likely she would be injured. He hoped she would be safe in his absence.

He was still very angry at Motoki and the girls, but he had to admit there were good things that had come of their plan. They were sitting together near the cave, sorting through what they had collected when he brought up how bothered he was by what had been done to them.

"It's not just how they put us together like that," he explained. "I mean, it really makes me angry. Seeing you crying like that and realizing what was happening…" he trailed off, unable to articulate his feelings. It had been sheer torture knowing he'd been part of why she was crying. But worse was the feeling of betrayal.

"But it's more than that," he continued. "It's being unsure how we survive this. At the very least they could have left us a book…" He trailed off at Usagi's giggle and stuck his tongue out at her. "But we're missing school. You have a family who is probably worried sick and…" he stopped when he noticed a flash of fear on her face. "I'm sure they're fine Usako," he said trying to make her feel better.

"It's not just them," Usagi said quietly. "I'm worried about the girls. I have a responsibility, and they have to continue to maintain it without me. I'm just so worried. What if something happens?"

"Is someone hurting them?" he asked, feeling confused.

Usagi started and looked up at him, her eyes wide. "No! Nothing like that. It's… something else."

She avoided his gaze when she finished and he worried she might be lying to him. She hurried back down to the beach and began digging for clams again. He followed her at a much slower pace.

He wondered if maybe one of the girls was in an abusive relationship or had family troubles. Who knew, maybe one of them even had a child or something else equally hard to believe. She didn't elaborate as they worked in companionable silence, and he didn't pressure her, knowing that she would tell him when she felt the time was right.

After all, he still hadn't told her he was Tuxedo Kamen. He wasn't sure he should, but he couldn't lie to her either. Knowing his identity could put her in danger. Not knowing could put her in danger. Of course, just being in Tokyo could put her in danger. With that line of thought running through his head, he decided it was time to take a break. It was nearing noon, and they'd been working for several hours.

When he turned to look at Usagi he couldn't help but stare. Her skin, slightly pinkened from sun exposure, though they'd worn sunblock, was shimmering. She'd waded out into the water to cool off apparently, and there was a droplet of seawater hanging precariously from one nipple. When it fell he licked his lips. He wanted to taste her.

He shook himself and smiled when she looked up at him. He refused to push past her limits. After what had been done to them both, there was no way he could take her choices away from her. He could admit, if only to himself, that the whole thing had left him feeling dissatisfied and a bit violated. And if he felt that way, she was probably feeling worse.

He thought she was putting far too much pressure on herself to be ready for him, but she needed time. He knew he loved her, that he wanted to marry her and be together forever. But she needed to know that before they went any further. He had to make it clear somehow. Words weren't enough. He had to show her.

"Let's go sit in the shade," he suggested, and she nodded. "Let me go grab something to eat first."

He went inside and grabbed the strawberries, whipped cream, and chocolate sauce, as well as a couple of the biscuits Makoto had made for them. Those would settle their stomachs before adding the sweets. He piled everything into a blue collapsible bucket and carried it out to meet her.

He held out a hand for her, and she slipped hers into it. It made him feel whole somehow. They moved up and sat under the trees where she had lain the evening before. Munching away happily, they talked of normal things. Her family, their schools, movies they enjoyed, and music.

Once they'd started on the strawberries he noticed a shift in the mood. She was staring at his mouth, and he couldn't help imagining covering her with chocolate and whipped cream and then licking it off her. 'Hentai,' he accused himself. But still, it was all he could imagine.

With a suddenness that startled him, Usagi sat up and licked the side of his mouth before kissing him sweetly. She blushed when she pulled away. "You had a bit of cream," she mumbled, staring at her lap.

He pounced then, knocking her into the grass to tickle her before he took a fingerful of cream and rubbed it on her lips. He spent several long minutes licking and kissing it away. And thus, began the great whipped cream war. The can was used up long before they were done kissing. He tried hard not to pressure her but he wanted to spread her legs and bury himself deep and never let her go.

Usagi touched his abs and chest gingerly, her fingers shaking and unsure. He trailed his fingertips over her stomach and moved to kissing her neck. Very gently he brushed over her peaked nipples before he deepened the kiss. 'One step at a time,' he told himself.

They saved the chocolate for later, each only taking a few nibbles from the other's fingertips. They wanted to save the sweet treat as long as they could, since they'd discovered they both had a love of chocolate.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
***Usagi's POV***

She needed him. It was driving her completely insane. They sat together doing their studies, and all she wanted to do was kiss his chest and touch him everywhere. It was a bit overwhelming. When he'd brushed over her nipples something had happened to her. Her belly had clenched, and inside of her privates had gotten hot and wet. It felt like something was missing, and she squirmed uncomfortably as he went to return the chocolate to the cooler.

She sighed.

Already she was changing. She wanted things she knew she probably wasn't ready for, but she no longer really cared if it wasn't time yet. She wanted him to take her, to claim her as his forever. Biting her lip in frustration, she turned over and laid on her belly in the grass.

There were little patches of whipped cream and she knew ants or some other insect would probably come for them, so she rolled twice to give herself distance. The last thing she needed was more bug bites. The mosquitoes had driven them both nearly insane until she had remembered they didn't like smoke. It wasn't like they could stay under the water constantly.

There was a movie she had watched about a man in a plane crash who had ended up alone on an island. She was glad she wasn't alone, but she also knew there were things they needed to do to survive. She tried to remember everything. Their feet were vulnerable, their skin exposed to far too much sun. She knew their piddly amount of sunblock wouldn't last.

Each night they had to boil water for the next day or use the strange drops that made it taste funny. They had bottles of water, but there wasn't enough for a month. She wondered if the girls were planning on bringing more. And more food. Because the things they had wouldn't last.

Mamoru was going to help her fish, but she wasn't sure either of them would be any good at it. And neither of them had much wilderness experience. Her family vacations had either been to the hot springs or the ocean. She'd never had any survival training, and it hadn't interested her. Of course, once she got back to Tokyo she intended to change that.

She wondered if they should build a larger signal fire and perhaps put an SOS on the beach somewhere. Perhaps a boat or a plane would spot them and come rescue them. Then she shuddered. It could be worse to be rescued than to stay. She thought of pirates or large crews of men. After what had happened…

Shaking her head she turned from those thoughts. She didn't want strangers to rescue her. She wanted her friends to come and get her. It was safer. It occurred to her that along with her virginity her innocence and immediate trust in people had also been lost. She didn't blame Mamoru. He'd been as drugged as she.

No. She blamed her friends. Motoki and the girls shouldn't have done what they had. Her anger and heartache continued to grow. With a sniffle she wiped at the tears that had begun to fall. They hadn't even considered the consequences of what they'd done. What if she got pregnant? What if something happened to them all and they couldn't come and get them? What if they were trapped here, alone forever?

And what about Tokyo? She and Luna had discussed it several times. Usagi was the one that destroyed the Youma. She was the one who was capable of finishing them off. Maybe the other girls would get better without her, but she couldn't be sure of that. People might get hurt.

None of them knew to follow Naru. Who would keep her best friend safe while she was gone. Who would lead them to the Youma? That was something Naru did. It was why Usagi found excuses to follow behind her, or to interrupt her friend whenever she wanted to go someplace new and exciting. Umino would be there to hopefully protect her, but honestly the girl needed a personal Senshi.

Mamoru returned after a time and sat next to her in silence. He too was thinking deep thoughts. She could tell. She kept her peace to let him work through whatever it was, and stared out at the island around her. There was so much to do and see, but she couldn't really enjoy all the place had to offer. She had to focus on survival, and on her budding relationship with her Mamo-chan.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
***Mamoru's POV***

The heat of the afternoon kept them in the shade the rest of the day, and they spent the time discussing how to cook clams and catch fish. Their topics changed often and included everything from clothing made of leaves to banking the fire at night as it grew colder. Neither had much experience in the wild. Mamoru couldn't remember much of his early childhood, but he'd never gone camping when he lived in the orphanage. His only real experience was working as a lifeguard the summer he turned fifteen.

Usagi had never been camping either, but had some experience in things like making fires, as her parents sometimes liked to cook over a special fire pit they'd created in their backyard. He was intrigued by the idea of it. They eventually got up and went back to the cave. They collected the clams and started a fire to boil them.

While they waited for the clams to cook, Usagi pulled out the communicator to check for messages. There was a reply, which came from Motoki. They played the message.

"Hi guys, I know you are really mad at us right now. I know that you think we've done something awful. But we just want the two of you to realize you're in love. Possibly before you murder each other. Please be safe and have fun. We'll see you November first!"

Usagi growled. Actually growled. Mamoru took the communicator to make a return message himself. He and Usagi put their heads close together and Mamoru spoke for both their sakes.

"Motoki. First, Usagi and I have realized our feelings for each other, but that doesn't change what you've done. Because of you something very precious was stolen from both of us. And I don't mean just our trust." he added, trying to make it perfectly clear. "I'm not sure I can ever forgive you or trust you again after that." He sighed and tried hard to maintain a calm voice.

"This place is beautiful, but it's also dangerous, and I don't think leaving us here, with no way to get help if we need it, is a good idea. We both have responsibilities we can't just walk away from, and by leaving us here, you are causing harm. Come and get us. I mean right now Motoki."

That night they concluded that clams were in fact, disgusting. Both ate several, but they were gross and slimy, and he was sure they had prepared them incorrectly. Instead they cooked one of the pre-made meals. It was on the verge of going bad, he thought. They would have to try and eat the rest of them the next day or risk getting food poisoning.

"What responsibility do you have in the city?" Usagi asked quietly.

"There's... someone, I have to protect. She's strong and capable, but... because of what she does she ends up in danger." he sighed, unsure how to go on. "How about you?" he asked. "You stressed a responsibility too."

"There are people I have to protect too," she murmured. "Things I have to find. And the girls... they've never had to do things without me."

"I'm sorry Usagi. It's awful knowing you have something important to do but not being able to do it."

They lay together afterwards, cuddled in the sleeping bag, and fell asleep almost at once.


	5. October 4: The Epiphany

***Mamoru's POV***

He didn't like waking up without Usagi in his arms. He considered her bladder his new worst enemy as he sat up, feeling lonely, and hurried to grab several protein bars before heading to the beach. Every morning he would walk outside and see her swimming in the waves along the shore. He wasn't very worried as he'd made sure she understood the dangers of rip tides, but it still made him leery to be so far apart.

Anything could happen on an island.

She walked out of the water looking like a sea goddess, her hair wet and shimmering and her body covered in little drops that sparkled in the sun. Her brilliant smile was all for him, and he felt a possessiveness take root inside him. He didn't want to share her. Not her time and attention, or her smile. Not her giggles or her cute look of confusion when he didn't explain something in a way she could understand. And most of all he didn't want to let anyone else see her gorgeous body. Ever.

Mine, he thought, though he was unsure where the feeling was coming from. All he knew was that if he could be sure she would be safe then he would be not only dating her, but marrying her as soon as possible. He sighed and tried to put those thoughts away. They still had a way to go before they could talk about that. It almost made him thankful they had been stranded here on this island. Almost.

His mind conjured the image of her tears that first morning. The way her entire body had shaken with her sobs, actually shaking his own body as he lay on top of her. Inside her. Running his fingers through his hair, he moved to meet her on the sand.

"Breakfast," he said, kissing her as he put two protein bars into her hand.

She looked up at him with that incredible smile as their lips parted and he wanted to drag her to the sand and have his way with her.

"Good morning Mamoru-baka," she said, giggling wildly.

"Good morning my little Odango," he answered, and kissed her again. "Give me a few minutes and we can get started," he added.

He had to hurry away and relieve himself before they took up the task of learning to fish. It wasn't something either of them had tried before, but he'd seen it done many times and thought he had a rough idea of what to do. She had found long sticks the day before and together they had tied the lines to them and added the hooks.

When he returned she was down on a stone outcropping with both poles and the silver tin filled with clams. He was incredibly grateful to find a good use for the ones they hadn't eaten, because he was sure they would make the entire cave stink soon.

They settled down onto the rocks together, each swinging the pole a couple times to get the line out as far as they could. Shoulder to shoulder they looked out over the sea.

"I think we have to throw away the prepared meals," Usagi said quietly.

"I know. I could smell them this morning. They aren't going to last."

"Worse," Usagi said. "When I went to get the poles there were a few crabs trying to get to them. I took them outside and put them beside the cave, but we have to move them away from camp soon or every creature on the island is going to come searching."

"I didn't realize it was so bad."

"You want to know something awful?" Usagi asked.

Mamoru looked at her and nodded.

"I wish Ami had been involved. If she was, I know I would have been really mad, and very hurt. And if they'd also cut my hair I might have gone completely crazy, but if she was involved I know all the food would have been canned and we wouldn't be facing so much hunger." She gave a sad little sigh and leaned her head against his shoulder.

"I could just kill them for doing this to us," he told her. "I can't stand the thought of you starving."

"Is that why you haven't been eating your full share?" she asked, turning her head to look up at him.

He winced. He'd really hoped she hadn't noticed that. To distract her he bent his head and kissed her soundly. Little giggles told him it had worked and he turned back to the sea.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
***Usagi's POV***

Usagi grinned as she held the makeshift fishing pole.

She stared up at Mamoru as he held his own pole. His eyes twinkled as he looked back at her. He grinned and moved closer. They now stood on the rocky outcrop, having had two nibbles, but no catches. They were so close she could feel the heat of him without any physical contact. He laughed and sounded so young it melted her heart. All she wanted in the world was to hear him laugh like that. To see him smile and make him happy.

She realized with a start that she couldn't picture the world without him in it. She thought, frantically, that she might die if something happened to him. Her heart beat like a wild thing trapped in a cage as she thought back over the time they'd spent together. She was in love with Chiba Mamoru. She would do anything for him. She wanted to be there for him, in every moment, and in every way.

She would be his helper, his friend, his lover, his confidante, and anything else he needed of her. She would be the family he needed. She loved him with all her heart, and all her mind, and all her soul. He was hers, and she was his.

With that thought in mind, she turned and grabbed him, pulling his face down to hers. She gave him a kiss that held all the words she was too afraid to say, and when she pulled back he stared at her in awe.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
***Mamoru's POV***

Mamoru couldn't stop the wild beating of his heart. Usagi was the most incredible, wonderful, beautiful woman on the planet. Inside and out. He loved her. He stared at her, the wide beautiful blue eyes that were staring back up at him blinked once, and then closed as he leaned in and gently touched her lips with his own. He felt himself sinking into her, and she seemed to melt into him in return.

The joy he felt in that moment was almost enough to sweep him away. Mamoru knew that he was hopelessly, completely, 'die if I lose her' in love with Usagi. And he wouldn't change it for the world. He lifted her up into his arms and kissed her harder. She giggled when they finally had their breath back.

The pole in her hands suddenly tugged at her and the two of them spent the next several minutes reeling in the line by hand, which was no easy task with a wriggling fish on the end. Neither of them recognized the species, but it was thin and broad and looked to have enough meat for one small meal. His own pole moved a moment after they'd deposited the fish in the collapsible bucket, and they turned to reel that in as well.

Unfortunately, he had not caught a fish, but rather an eel, which was slimy and disgusting. They laughed over it and threw it back into the ocean, waving as though seeing off a friend, and laughing wildly. They carried their one fish, and their poles back to the shelter and decided to cook it early, figuring that if it was as inedible as the clams they would have plenty of time to find something else.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
***Usagi's POV***

"I had a thought," Usagi said quietly, hoping he wasn't too tired after their morning.

"What is it?" he asked, looking down at her with a smile that lit up her world.

"Let's take the prepared meals down about half a mile, around the rocky part of the island where we won't go very often. We can bury the food in the woods, or just leave it for the animals. I'm sure there have to be some small ones on the island. Then we rinse the tins in the sea and bring them back, so when we come back from looking for fruits we have a place to store them if we find any."

Mamoru nodded. "Okay, let's hurry though, I want to get this done so we can come back and eat."

The two of them piled the seven trays into two piles. She took three and he took four. She followed in his footsteps. They passed the area where she hid to do her training, and went along the shore. In some areas they had to wade out into the ocean, and in one area they were forced to clamber over the rocks, but within twenty minutes they had gotten to an area full of trees and they dumped the trays out onto the dirt under one of them.

Hurriedly they went to the ocean and rinsed the trays. Some of the particles remained stuck. Annoyed, Usagi grabbed a handful of sand and used the coarse grains to get into the crevasses and unstick the food. When she rinsed the tray after it came back looking spotless. Excited with her discovery she showed Mamoru.

"This could make washing dishes a bit easier," he said. "We won't have to use so much soap to degrease everything. We can just scrub it with the sand and rinse and then wash things after."

When all seven trays were clean they stacked them together. They were made of tin and were thin because they'd been meant to be disposable, so they were careful about them. Once they had made their way back to the beach Usagi checked the fish. It wasn't cooked, and she worried the heat was just too low so she added a couple small pieces of wood to make the fire hotter.

Going back into the bright sunshine she spotted Mamoru. He was looking out over the ocean. She stopped beside him.

"Did you see something?" she asked.

He shook his head. "No, but I've been thinking about making a signal fire."

"Please don't," she whispered and he turned to her, looking a little shocked.

"Why not?" he asked.

She bit her lip. It was hard to voice her fears. "As long as we have the communicator, we can call for help in an emergency." She looked away. His fingertips tilted her face back to his. "What if we light a signal fire and its pirates or whalers that come to get us? Those crews are mostly men, and they aren't known for being particularly kind to women. I mean… look at Endo."

Mamoru's face paled. "I hadn't thought of that," he admitted. "You're right. As long as the girls keep in contact we won't set up signal fires or anything. Although... " he paused. "We could set up some rocks in an SOS down the beach a way, and make an arrow pointing to the cave."

Usagi thought about it. That didn't seem too dangerous. She nodded. "But that can wait until tomorrow or the next day," she said. "Today is for finding food."

"You ready?" he asked.

She nodded and put her hand in his.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
***Mamoru's POV***

They walked out hand in hand, and walked towards the other side of the island. Having found a handy stick to skewer the fish on after he'd cleaned and deboned it, and with trays prepared for anything they might find, they were as ready as they were going to get. The whole island was less than two miles across, they figured, and perhaps three miles wide. There were tons of stony ledges and seawalls and a small mountainous area, though it was no actual mountain. However, what they sought most was knowledge on what they could obtain from the island itself.

Usagi made the first discovery and shouted happily when she did so. She found Nashi, a type of pear that looked almost like a green apple and was watery and juicy and delicious. They collected a dozen of them, mostly small and just barely ready to eat, but left most to finish ripening. They'd crossed nearly the entire island before finding them and stopped to take a brief rest.

"What do you think," she asked. "Should we try to plant a couple near the cave?"

"We can try to plant some of everything we find," he said, secretly loving the idea because he could use his powers to make them grow.

She added a couple extra nashi to the pile, these the most ripe of the bunch.

"It's really hot today," she complained.

"At least there are no mosquit..."

"Don't say it!" she hissed, covering his mouth. "If you say it, they'll find us." She was whispering as if the little bugs were enemy commandos ready to launch an invasion.

He laughed and licked her palm.

"Eww! Mamo-chan!" she whined, and wiped her palm across his chest.

He laughed and kissed her, slipping his tongue into her mouth. When he came up for air he teased, "you don't seem to mind my tongue in your mouth. Why is it so bad to lick your palm."

Usagi blushed crimson and buried her face in his chest to hide. He pulled her closer automatically, and laughed.

"We need to stop and put on some sunscreen," she said in a bossy tone. He laughed even harder. She just made his whole world better.

Usagi sat on a smooth stone and pulled the sunblock out of the bucket they were carrying. The two of them had been carefully applying it over the course of the past few days. Of course, their first day, before they'd known it was there, they'd both burned a bit while being sick on the beach. Though the mess had long since disappeared, their burns had not, and were now peeling slightly as they healed.

Usagi covered her front, and what she could reach of her back, but handed the bottle to Mamoru so that he could help her. He closed his eyes and swallowed a lump in his throat, reminding himself again and again that she wasn't ready to go further than they already had. He enjoyed touching her soft, smooth, beautiful skin, but he didn't want to do anything either of them would regret, so he kept his touches respectful.

He then covered himself, and she helped with his back as he had hers. He stared out at the sea, a bit of a distance from where they sat now and tried to think of complex mathematical equations. It didn't help. The touch of her fingertips on him sent waves of pleasure through his body, and the erection he'd been holding at bay sprung to life. He groaned, knowing that he would have to take care of it before the day was out.

"I think if we go that way," Mamoru pointed to where the trees looked thick, "we should have some luck.

They found Yuzu next, a citrus fruit that could add flavor to other foods and would give high quantities of Vitamin C. He thought it would be a great way to make fish taste better. He knew Usagi wasn't very fond of seafood. They each tried a few bites. It wasn't completely ripe, but he thought it tasted pretty good. They added several to the bucket and moved on.

There were tons of Ume trees which gave off a small plum-like fruit. Usually people pickled them, but they had very little vinegar, so they weren't sure they would. They collected a few dozen and moved on.

They found a few Mikan, which were a type of tangerine, and collected them, but most seemed overripe, and they weren't sure they could be eaten.

Their greatest find, by far were several Akebia vines. Their fruits were edible, but it was the other benefits that the two knew of that excited them the most. They began the walk back after that, knowing they couldn't carry more than they had. Usagi was insane over the chocolate smell of the flowers, and Mamoru had to agree. It made him crave chocolate too.

After collecting more than a dozen of the fruits, they set out to collect as many vines as they could. Stripping the leaves from them for separate use and wrapping them into coils like rope, they carried several over each of their shoulders, excited by the prospect of what could be done with them. They collected several dozen of the flowers to make tea with, and the stems had medical uses.

Usagi was ecstatic over the find. Her mother grew the plants in little containers because she liked to use the vines in some of her basket weaving projects. He knew the fruits tasted a bit like watermelon and the stems could fight bacterial infections, though he was careful to remind her they couldn't use them too often.

The walk back was full of laughter and smiles. Except for one moment, when Usagi saw a snake and leapt onto his back, nearly knocking him over in surprise. She screamed, and the sound was loud in his ears, but he hurriedly carried her away from the 'horrible beast,' and to the safety of the beach.

When they returned they could smell burning fish and ran into the shelter to see smoke rising through the hole in the ceiling. They'd wrapped the fish in leaves before skewering it, but they were blackened and shriveled, and the fish itself was a charcoal briquette in consistency. Both of them laughed as they cleaned up the mess. They opened the windbreak to let the smell out.

"Here," Mamoru said with a grin. "Let's just heat up a can of soup." They talked and laughed for a long time as they prepared the food and ate together.

After lunch they went into the shade under the trees and began their lessons.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
***Usagi's POV***

"Okay Mamoru. Here's the situation. A mother shows up in the emergency room with a toddler. He is screaming and crying, more from fear than pain. You search to find out what is wrong and discover he has somehow stuck a rather large bead into his nostril."

She heard him snort and mock glared at him. "What do you say and do to calm the child and the mother?"

He frowned. "First I would need to find the tweezers and see if I can remove…" he stopped talking, apparently noticing she was shaking her head. "What?" he asked.

Usagi giggled. "How are you going to get the tweezers near his nose if he doesn't trust you? Or if his mother thinks you are too mean to be near her baby. People need to know you care… even if its only for ten minutes while you treat them."

She waited for him to think it out. It was easy to be patient as his face was scrunched rather adorably in concentration. Finally he opened his eyes and looked at her.

"What would you say?" he asked.

"First I would reassure them that it's going to be okay. I might even pat the mother on the shoulder or do something silly to make the boy laugh like using tongue depressors to pretend I am a walrus."

Mamoru burst out laughing and it warmed her from the inside out.

"Then what?"

"Well I would probably distract the little one. Maybe with something held over his head so he looks up. I think lollipops are the best bet. Give it to the mom to hold and zip in and take the bead out as soon as he isn't scared anymore."

"Wow. I never would have thought of half of that. How come you don't want to be a doctor?"

"I thought about being a nurse," Usagi admitted. "Or a teacher like Hakuna-sense. She seems mean but she really cares and if you need her she's there. But after a while I realized it wouldn't fit in my life so I thought about what else I was passionate about. Video games and manga."

"Manga," Mamoru said decisively.

She was startled. That was exactly what she had chosen. "You have a way with telling a story and I've seen some of your doodles on your test papers." He grinned so she stuck her tongue out at him.

"I want to take art classes and my English and Kanji both need work, but yes, that's what I want to do."

Mamoru leaned forward and kissed her suddenly, making her head spin and her body ache with need. His hands were gentle as he lowered her to the grass and lay beside her, his upper half leaning over her. He rested one palm on the ground to steady himself as he continued to kiss her breathless.

Very slowly, his other hand moved along the skin of her belly and up toward the slope of her breasts. He rubbed his knuckles along the bottom curve. She shivered and arched toward him.

"If I make you uncomfortable, tell me to stop," he whispered.

"Okay," she nodded, her voice sounding breathy and barely audible to her own ears.

He lifted his hand and cupped her breast, covering most of it, including the nipple. She couldn't hold back the moan as his palm brushed over the sensitive peak. He moved to the other side and did the same thing before he moved slowly, bending his head and licked over the first. Her hips rose in response. Her breath hitched, and automatically her hands reached for his shoulders. He changed breasts licking the other and her body reacted.

A flood of moisture pooled inside her and her whole body felt like she'd been zapped by electrify.

"More," she breathed.

Mamoru closed his mouth over the nipple and sucked, his teeth lightly touching her sensitive flesh while gently pinching the other between his fingers.

Her body bucked under him and he pulled back, making her whine in need. "Don't stop," she pleaded.

He changed positions, moving to rest on his side, facing her, and took the nipple closest to him into his mouth while his hand roamed back down over her stomach. Finding the curls made him stop and Usagi wanted to scream. After a brief hesitation, he continued. He sat up, letting her nipple go, and moved between her legs.

His fingers moved gently over the slick surface as he explored. He spread her open to look and licked his lips. One finger slid along the length of her slit until he found her hardened pearl. He touched it gently and her whole body leaped in response. Pressing harder he dragged his finger over it. Again her body jumped.

"Does it feel good?" he asked.

Usagi want capable of speech so she only nodded. When he saw her approval he continued to touch the little nun until her body was shaking at the edge of orgasm.

Little mewling cries escaped her as he pressed even harder. Then her vision went back and stars burst in her mind as her entire body convulsed. He continued touching but it was too sensitive so she dragged his hand away.

Sitting up, she noticed his arousal. It looked almost painful. She bit her lip before pushing him onto his own back.

"Same goes, okay?" she asked.

He gave a guttural grunt and nodded. Gently she wrapped her fingers around his shaft. She was surprised to find it was silky smooth. He moaned at her touch and he bounced in her hand.

Startled, she pulled back for a second. Gingerly she put a finger to the weeping tip and rubbed through the moisture in the slit.

"Usako," he ground, his hips lifting.

Remembering her own hips had lifted when she really enjoyed what he was doing she repeated the motion. When she got the same response she grew more bold. She explored, circling the bulbous head and tracing the line of skin along his shaft that continued over the hardened sacks between his legs.

She moved her hand back up and wrapped her fingers around him, pulling gently. His skin moved slightly with her motion and she did it again. His hips lifted. "Faster," he groaned.

She moved her hand up and down, slightly faster than before and noticed more moisture leaking from his tip. Curious she reached out with her other hand and ran her finger over the slit, sliding in the moisture.

He gave a hoarse shout and his entire body went rigid, his hips thrusting wildly, moving him even faster in her hands. White, sticky, wet semen erupted from his tip in spurts with each thrust. Each spurt released less and less until finally he was still, panting and shaking.

"Ok Kami, Usako," he muttered when he could speak again. The semen had coated her hands and his groin. She grinned down at him, feeling wonderful and happy. Between her own legs was a wet mess from when she had orgasmed.

Giggling happily, she bent over and gave him a kiss. "I think maybe we should wash up before dinner," she said, unable to keep the smile of her face.

Knowing they could do so much for each other was wonderful. They were taking things in steps and she was thrilled with the results. She felt powerful knowing he had responded so strongly to her.

Mamoru opened one eye and stared up at her. "I'm not dead," he whispered.

Peals of laughter filled the air. She couldn't help it. She was happy and strong and felt womanly and wanted. For a long time they both lay comfortably in the grass, staring at the sky.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
***Mamoru's POV***

The blinking light of the communicator caught their attention when they returned to the cave. It was early in the evening and they were both smiling and happy. But the moment they saw it, both of them went silent. Neither spoke as they approached the tiny piece of harmless looking plastic. Mamoru didn't know why dread filled him as he grew closer, but the look on Usagi's face said she felt the same.

She pressed the button and Rei's voice filled the cave, echoing off the walls.

"Nice try Chiba. I doubt the two of you have had time to resolve your differences. We don't intend to come pick you up until that's done. I don't know that responsibilities you have that are so important, but Usagi's are being handled. We don't need her here. We can manage just fine on our own, so I don't want to hear your excuses. Now have fun and play nice. And Usagi, try to remember you're sixteen and don't be a crybaby about everything."

He heard the sharp intake of breath at the final words, and caught her before she could turn and run. Mamoru wrapped an arm around her waist and hugged her tight. "It'll be okay," he whispered, then kissed the top of her head. "It has to be."

Usagi held herself together, and he could tell those words had effected her more than she could have prepared for. Rage filled his system. Somewhere outside lighting struck, but he wasn't really paying attention. Usagi was shaking with emotion, trying not to let out the wail of agony.

Finally he'd had enough. "Usagi, cry."

She shook her head and bit one of her fingers hard.

"Usagi, she's supposed to be your friend. She trapped you here, caused you to have sex against your will. That's rape. And now she's just said something horribly cruel to you. It's perfectly okay to cry. In fact, not crying would probably hurt you."

She blinked her eyes open and stared at him. He knew she had been incredibly strong for four days. She needed to let it out. He rubbed small circles on the small of her back. "It's okay, Usako. I've got you. Let it out."

She broke. There was no other description for what happened in that moment. She fell to pieces in his arms, great sobs shaking her body until she was nearly bent in half with the force of them. A wail of pain and hurt and anger tore out of her lungs and she screamed her pain into his shoulder.

All he could do was hold on. He was so thankful that he had her, thankful for the new level of intimacy they had shared, because she trusted him completely to hold her through the storm.

"I... t-th-thought s-she w-was my f-friend," she sobbed.

Unable to take it anymore he bent down and scooped her into his arms, holding tightly. He sat on the futon and cuddled her like he would a little kitten, holding her tight and close to his chest. She continued to cry for a long time, but when it was over a strange calm passed over her face.

"Arigato," she whispered, and hugged him tight.

When he helped her stand she moved to the small pile of canned goods and chose one at random, pouring it into the little pan that had been left for them. He watched her carefully for several long minutes before going outside and around the side of the cave.

When he was sure he was completely out of her sight he slammed his fist into the rock wall. His knuckles were scraped and bruised, and he might have even broken a bone, but it didn't matter. He healed rapidly since he had become Tuxedo Kamen, and he was afraid to vent his full rage at once.

Right now Usagi needed him to be the strong one. He knew it might change the next day and he would need her even more, but for the moment he was going to protect her. He was going to be her masked hero.

He sighed, wishing he could just smash the communicator and be done with it.

An hour later they had eaten an early dinner, as Usagi's mood was shaken after the message they had received. She'd barely touched her food, a rare occurrence for her. He couldn't even remember what they ate. All their joy and happiness had seemed to be leached out of her after they had played the video, and he wished they hadn't noticed it at all.

Mamoru moved up the steps of the cliff face. He knew Usagi would be down below as he had been washing the dishes. They were taking turns with the chore. As soon as she was gone he hurried to finish and then made his way to the rocks.

Climbing to the top was easier this time. He looked down over the edge and saw her running from one wall to the other, slapping each side before turning and dashing away.

She then dropped and did push ups and her strange sit ups again before moving into tumbling and then flipping.

Today however, instead of rushing straight to the ocean, she pulled out what looked like a twig held tied in a circle with pieces of long grass, or maybe vines. She stood still for a long moment before moving it, launching the thing over the sand. The binding came undone and the twig fell to the ground.

Usagi let out a sound full of anger and frustration. Her sound built up into a primal scream and she fell to her knees on the sand, punching it with her fists over and over. She didn't cry this time, but sat back and stared up at the sky.

Eventually she stood. He heard her muttering as she trudged towards the water, but he couldn't make out the words. He sighed as he moved back towards the beach, wishing he knew a way to make it all better for her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
***Usagi's POV***

Usagi's mind had been racing since the message was played. She had been betrayed by three of her best friends. And then one of them had added insult on top of injury. She wasn't sure what she would do when she finally returned home, but she didn't think she could battle alongside them anymore.

She had a lot to think about. Their situation was actually dire. Especially hers. She knew without her medication she would begin to lose weight rapidly. And she was fairly certain Mamoru would continue trying to give his portions to her. People could go a long time without food, but she knew she would become a burden to him long before they left the island if they didn't find a way to get more quickly.

She needed to try and tell him the truth. Maybe if he understood who she really was, he would be willing to stop starving himself to feed her. The moonlight always helped her heal. Maybe this time it would help her stay strong when she wasn't getting proper nutrition.

As they lay cuddled together on the futon, the smell of burned fish still heavy in the air, Usagi worried a strand of hair around her fingers. She wanted to talk to Mamoru about it, but she wasn't sure how to begin. He kissed her neck, and it distracted her for several minutes, but eventually he lay still.

"Mamo-chan?" she asked, half hoping he was already asleep, so she could put this off.

"Hmm?"

"Have you ever had a secret? One that wasn't easy to carry?"

"Yes," he whispered. "I still do."

She turned around inside the sleeping bag so that she could see him. Their faces were inches apart and she stared directly into his eyes. He was more than handsome. Almost beautiful actually, and his eyes were deep, fathomless, and looking at her, loving. She adored him, and knew if their relationship were to progress, she had to tell him the truth, but she wasn't sure how.

"I have one," she said, her voice shaking a bit as she worried over how he might react. "I have a secret, and I am worried how it will affect you. Affect us," she amended after a moment.

"Mine is the same," he said.

She pulled in a breath at his admission, hoping his wasn't as bad as he seemed to fear. She heard his own intake and wondered what he was thinking. His brows were furrowed, and she hoped he wasn't going to be mad at her, or worse, try and stop her from doing what she had to do when they did get back to Tokyo.

"Do you remember asking me once if you had heard Luna talking?"

Mamoru didn't speak, just gave a brief nod.

She blushed, hoping he didn't think she was insane. She took a deep breath and continued in a rush. "Well, I lied. She was talking. She's not what you would call a normal cat. She's uh, Sailor Moon's cat."

His frown grew as he stared at her, the dim light from the pillar candles making his face a complex pattern of light and shadow. "Sailor Moon," he whispered.

She could only nod, as she gulped back another lump, then hurried to continue. "She showed up months ago. Do you remember the day we met? Well, that was the same day I met Luna, and my life changed completely. I saved her from some boys who were hurting her. She scratched me for it of course, because she was really scared. Then later she showed up at the arcade, and that night she came into my bedroom and started talking to me."

He was staring at her, his eyes wide, still frowning. She gulped again and went on.

"She gave me a brooch. You've probably noticed it. This is the first time I've been without it since that day." She couldn't help the angry growl that rose in her throat at that. Her friends had left her without a way to protect Mamoru. "That night, there was an attack."

Mamoru cut her off. "At the OSA-P Jewelry store, run by Naru's mother."

She nodded. "I was there. That was the first time I became Sailor Moon."

Absolute silence. Even the bugs seemed to stop making noise. Only the sound of waves penetrated their little world as he stared at her, and she looked back, afraid he would turn away from her. When nothing was said after a very long time, she feared the worst, and tears began to fall. She was helpless against them, unable to stop them from falling.

"Hey," Mamoru whispered, and his hand came up to brush away her tears. "It's okay. I'm just surprised I never noticed." He gave her a small smile.

She swallowed and stared at him hopefully. "You don't hate me?" she asked, her voice shaking.

"No," he said emphatically. "I could never hate you. I'm worried you might hate me though." He sighed. "There's a reason I knew about the attack. I was there that night too."

She gasped, looking at him, and in that moment she could see everything. She imagined a white domino mask over his face. "Tuxedo Kamen," she said, breathlessly.

"Yes. I didn't know it at first of course. I had strange blackouts, didn't know what was happening to me. Motoki saw me transform and told me who I was. I didn't remember any fights before then, but I started getting more and more clear about what happened after. And then, one day Sailor Moon, you, found my locket. Do you remember?"

Usagi nodded. She could remember it well. She'd offered it back to him, and he'd closed her hand around it, telling her to protect it for him. It was thankfully safe at her house in her bedroom, tucked into the little nightstand she and her father had painted together.

"The moment we both touched it my memories began to surface. I was a bit afraid at first, but then, I'm no stranger to things that are out of the ordinary." He gave a bitter laugh.

"What do you mean Mamo-chan?"

"When I was six years old, my parents and I went out for a drive. It was my birthday, and I was excited and happy. But there was an accident. It's my only memory of my life before. My parents both died that day, and the doctors said it was a miracle I survived with only a bump on the head. Amnesia, they called it. Ever since then, I've dreamed of a princess. She stands on a balcony above me, calling for help. She wants me to find the Silver Crystal."

Usagi gasped. "Mamo-chan, we're searching for the princess, and for the Crystal. We are her guardians. We have to find her and protect her. The problem is, she wouldn't know she's the princess. Her memory would be blocked, like ours, until the Crystal is found."

Now it was Mamoru's turn to gasp. She waited, but he didn't say anything for a moment. Finally, he took a deep breath and looked at her carefully. "Usako," he whispered, "Luna and I were wrong. We were never enemies." He bent and kissed her then, and she melted into him.

"Mamo-chan?" They had come up for air, and she wanted to talk about something that was upsetting her. "I'm sorry you lost your parents."

"Please don't pity me, Usako." He said in a strangled voice.

"I don't," she insisted. "I don't pity you. You've grown into a strong, brave, wonderful man, and I'm sure they are very proud of you. That doesn't mean I'm not sad about it, or that I don't ache for you, and the boy you were." She smiled and kissed his cheek. "I'll be your family now," she promised.

His hug nearly squeezed the breath out of her. She realized he was crying, and so was she, and just held him tighter.

"So, the girls..." he asked changing the subject.

"Are the other Senshi," she finished for him.

"That makes what they've done even worse somehow. And Motoki knows who I am too." he added.

"How could they do this to us?"

"I don't know Usako. I don't know."

"I was so afraid if I showed my feelings for you, that you'd get hurt." Usagi admitted.

"Me too," Mamoru sighed. "If someone found out who I was..." he trailed off with a shudder.

"I love you Mamo-chan."

"I love you Usako," he whispered.

Eventually, he began to snore. His arms loosened, and she watched him for a long time, before finally drifting off to sleep.


	6. October 5: Jellyfish

***Usagi's POV***

Usagi sat up and gently extracted herself from Mamoru's arms. She had no idea what time it was, only that it was still dark. The fire was banked for the night, but she moved to it and added a bit of space between the wood and another piece of driftwood to the pile so that it would catch when the fire reached a certain point.

Only one candle was lit. They had to make them last, so they only had multiple candles lit when they were in for the night before bed. She picked the candle up and moved to the table where the communicator had been placed after their message from Rei.

Picking up the device and putting the candle back on the ledge, she hurried out of the cave and went to sit on one of the large pieces of driftwood, which formed a natural seat that was rather comfortable.

She listened to the message again, feeling a bit heartbroken by the harsh words. Rei could be careless about how she said things at times, and if she was feeling emotional she tended to forget that her words could hurt people.

It had been in her mind as she'd fallen asleep that Rei probably regretted what she'd said seconds after she'd recorded the message. She knew something of Rei's history. Not much, but enough to know that something had to have been truly bothering her to make the girl lash out the way she had.

Listening again she recognized the tone, the hurt the other girl was hiding behind her bravado. She'd seen this before. Several times. It was why she tried not to let Rei's occasional teasing bother her any more than Mamoru's. She knew her friend was always sorry, even if she didn't express it well. Not in words anyways.

With a sigh she pressed the button to record her own message.

"Hey Rei, girls, Motoki. I want to let you know we're okay. I'm still hurt and a little confused by what you did. I'm not sure how to say what it is I really want to say. We all know that eventually I'm going to forgive you, but I want you to think, really think, about what you've done. It was more than just a betrayal of trust. You really hurt us both."

Usagi sighed. "I'm sure we can find a way to survive here, but it won't be easy. We don't have much food. And not because I ate it all… most of it went bad within three days. That sort of thing needs to be refrigerated."

She blinked back tears. She'd never told her friends about her illness, and perhaps she should have, but she'd never expected them to do something like this, and she hadn't wanted them to think she was weak. She shook her head. "That's not the only thing though. I take medication every day for my thyroid. That's why I don't gain weight."

She thought about some of Mamoru's concerns. "But there is also the issue of school, for Mamoru and I both. I might not be the best student, but I don't want to fail my classes. And Mamoru… he wants to be a doctor. It would have been nice to at least have our school things with us. And girls, I have nothing to protect us with, and that is far too dangerous to continue."

She paused, unsure what else to say. "And as for the clothing thing… The bottle of sunscreen is already almost gone. We're exposed to the sun and the wind, which means burns. Burns we don't have aloe for. We can't keep going without our clothing. We don't have a proper first aid kit either, or anything for snake bites or spider bites. Nothing to use to hold things together. Nothing to chop wood or provide shade outdoors. And the purifying tablets won't go far for the water so we are going to have to boil it ahead of time."

She closed her eyes, praying to the kami for the right words. The girls knew her secret and Motoki knew Mamoru's. Maybe… maybe it would be best to come straight out with it. She shook her head. No. It wasn't a good idea. Not without his permission. Finally, she took a breath and continued.

"Mamoru and I both know why we were hiding our attraction from each other. We both fully understand our feelings now. We both love each other. That's what you wanted us to learn, isn't it? I am asking you to please consider what I'm saying and come pick us up. I love you all. Bye. No, wait... until I get back, can one of you girls PLEASE keep an eye on Naru?"

She leaned forward and rested her head on her knees. She really hoped they would listen. She hoped they would reconsider what they were doing and take them home. They'd been on the island four days. And while there were moments of incredible happiness, there were also things she would rather avoid. Not just spiders and snakes, but other dangers. She shuddered at the thought of pirates or some group of men finding her naked.

A tear streaked down her cheek. She would never be completely innocent again. With a last sigh she stood and went back into the cave and crawled into bed. She snuggled in next to Mamoru who grunted in his sleep and wrapped an arm around her tightly, pulling her close.

Closing her eyes she fell into a dream about marrying her Mamo-chan and having a dozen babies so he would have a huge family, and would never be alone again. A smile touched her face even as she slept.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
***Mamoru's POV***

Mamoru woke up with a start. Usagi was shifting in her sleep, turning over so that her back was to him. He felt her backside rub against him and instantly he was aroused. He focused on trigonometry for a few moments to calm himself, and then he noticed she made little humming noises in her sleep that sounded an awful lot like the moans she had made the day before when they had explored each other.

He had to shut his mind off and think of something else. He turned his head to peer at her. He could still feel a dampness in the pillow roll under his cheek. He hadn't cried since his parents had died. Not really anyway. A few small hurts had brought tears to his eyes, but he'd never shed them. Usagi's easy acceptance and her beautiful promise had done what nothing else had done in so many years. He breathed deeply, smelling her hair.

He wasn't fond of the shampoo they'd been given. It smelled different. She had always smelled of coconuts and strawberries. Now she smelled of ocean and sand and, with the shampoo, honeysuckle. He wasn't sure he could ever get used to it.

He was thankful he hadn't had the dream of the princess. He always thrashed around as he was waking from those, and he would have woken Usagi for sure. As he thought about it, he realized that he hadn't dreamed of the princess once since they'd been on the island. He wondered who she was and what she was like.

She wouldn't know who she was, Usagi had told him. That bothered something in the back of his mind, but he couldn't figure it out. 

His little Odango was Sailor Moon. That had been a shock at first, but as soon as she'd said it, he had begun to see all the traits and physical characteristics he hadn't paid attention to before. The long blonde hair in that signature double bun style. How could he have missed the Odango look? The big, wide, shining blue eyes. The height. Even for a girl in Japan she was short. He grinned at that. She was also very thin, her belly curving inwards. Too thin, he thought. Her muscled arms and legs. Not heavily muscled, but enough that he should have noted it, and the change from when they'd first met.

And then there was the maturity she'd begun to show. She'd been a wailing, crying, whining mess when they'd first met. Now she often brushed away minor hurts. And she was more graceful than she had been in the past. Though his ribs could still tell the story of hundreds of run-ins. He smiled at that thought. He rather enjoyed those. He'd even orchestrated a few of them, just to feel her in his arms.

On the battlefield, where once she had been a mess, constantly falling and crying, she was now ready for battle, though he could always sense through the link he had with her that she was afraid, sometimes angry and annoyed, and often her feelings were hurt by insensitive remarks from the other Senshi. Now that he knew who she was, it wasn't hard to figure out the rest.

But the princess. He brought up an image of her in his mind. Blonde hair, long like Usagi's and...

Shock took him for several long minutes. His mind raced, unable to process any thoughts. It took a while for him to focus. The buns, the long streamers of hair flowing from them. The silhouette of a thin girl with ample breasts, just like his Usako.

She'd said the princess wouldn't know her own identity. But he knew. He stared down at the tiny blonde in his arms, more determined than ever to make sure she stayed safe. Somehow he knew she was the only hope of defeating the enemy they faced, though he wasn't sure how he knew it.

He should have known the resurgence of the dreams, the meeting of the tiny blonde light of his life, and the first fight alongside the warrior meant something. All three had happened in the same day and night. How he had not seen it earlier he couldn't imagine. There must have been some magic blocking his sight.

He held her tightly as he drifted to sleep again, dreaming of a beautiful day with Usagi in a white kimono, sharing sips of sake with him in front of a priest. Even in sleep, he smiled.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
***Usagi's POV***

As was becoming habit, Usagi slipped out of bed early to find a place to relieve herself. As she walked, she thought over the confessions she and Mamoru had shared the night before. He was Tuxedo Kamen, and also on a mission to help the princess. She'd been right all along. He wasn't their enemy, and he could be trusted. She'd lost count of the arguments she'd had with Luna and Rei over that.

She also thought about the message she had sent, and what might happen. She could only hope that they would come quickly and bring them home. Before they missed more school, or one of them got hurt.

She found a decent spot and squatted, then ran to the ocean to let the water wash away any traces. It was the best she could do. She didn't want to take the chance of wiping herself with a poisonous leaf. She shuddered at the thought. She enjoyed her morning soak. It was wonderful to just float in the water and not worry about anything.

Honestly, her only worries on the island seemed to be avoiding spiders, of which there had already been a few, and the concern over hiding her period, which would start in just over a week. She'd found the box of tampons, and was thankful to whoever had remembered them, but without clothing, she was sure Mamoru would know exactly what was going on. Even though having a period wasn't her favorite thing in the world, she was really hoping it came on time.

But she had other worries. Plenty of them. She had to get back to Tokyo and help the other Senshi. She was worried about Youma battles and the Dark Generals. She also had school, her family, and so many other things. And she was very worried about Naru. What would happen to the little redhead without Usagi tailing her? The girl seemed to be a Youma magnet. She'd lost count of the times the girl had been attacked.

She stood finally, then ducked long enough to soak her hair so she could style it when she got to shore. Then, as she was walking back out of the water, something touched her, and she let out a scream of shock and pain. It burned badly all along her calf and around her ankle. It continued to touch her, and she tried to shake her foot to get the thing off, letting out another pained cry as it continued to sting and burn.

She was lifted out of the water a moment later and the thing fell away from her leg, plopping back into the water. Mamoru let out a hiss as it touched the top of his foot, but he was largely unscathed. He carried her out of the water and Usagi couldn't help but cling to him and sob. It still burned. Badly. Her entire left calf, around her left ankle, and along the top of her left foot was painful and reddish-purple lines and welts were beginning to form.

He carried her up to the basin under the waterfall and went inside the shelter. The pain was not lessening, and she didn't know what to do. She didn't know about those weird stories about someone peeing on a jellyfish stings, and really hoped it wouldn't come to that.

Usagi was surprised when Mamoru came back with a few water bottles and a jar of salt. He also had a small bottle of vinegar, two cotton swabs, and a pair of tweezers. He poured a generous amount of salt into one of the bottles, and then a second. Then he set them on the ground.

Next, he took the tweezers and removed two small tentacles she hadn't noticed were still attached to her leg. He took the clear water first and rinsed the wounds. He shook both water bottles with salt in them vigorously for a few minutes before gently pouring the mixture onto the wounds. Finally, he poured a bit of vinegar over the cotton balls and dabbed them over the injuries.

Usagi noticed the pain getting less, though it didn't disappear completely. In a few areas, especially where pieces had been stuck to her, there were tiny drops of blood welling from the wounds. She sniffled a bit, though her crying was quieter now, and she was no longer screaming. She didn't want him to think she was only a cry baby. How was that for his first morning knowing she was Sailor Moon?

He went in and grabbed the collapsible water bucket from inside the shelter, and a few minutes later he returned with it, filling it from the little waterfall above the basin. He lifted her leg and placed it in the cold water, and the relief was immediate. He hadn't said anything though, not even to ask if she was okay.

She watched his face. He was all business, making sure everything that could be done was done, but a muscle in his jaw was ticking as though he was holding back a vast amount of anger, or even rage. She could see it much more clearly now. Her masked rescuer usually only held that sort of anger when the Dark Generals were present. Now though, he looked murderous. She wished she could soothe him, but she wasn't feeling well and couldn't seem to think straight.

On the horizon she could see storm clouds beginning to form, and an occasional streak of lightning, though it was far from them, made her jump. After about half an hour had passed he lifted her up, letting the water drip away as there was nothing to dry her leg with, and he carried her inside. He placed her on top of the sleeping bag and went back out for the supplies, all of which he piled into the bucket.

When he came back in he was muttering under his breath about not having antibiotic cream. He'd found some Benadryl tablets and gave her two, as well as two more aspirin. Then he soaked a few pieces of gauze in vinegar and wrapped the wounds with them. Now nearly half their vinegar supply was gone, and that was for only one wound. Usagi blanched at the realization.

The Benadryl made her sleepy and she fell into a fitful doze, waking when Mamoru came to check on her. His hands were gentle, but she could see the barely checked anger in his eyes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
***Mamoru's POV***

When Usagi's screams had woken him, Mamoru felt as though he'd lost ten years of his life. He had fumbled out of the sleeping bag and raced toward the sound in a headlong rush, not bothering to pause and figure out what the danger was.

He ran into the water at full speed and lifted her, seeing the jellyfish clinging to her leg and ankle. He paused long enough to note it was not a box jellyfish, and then carried her out of the water, hardly noticing the small sting he received as the creature plopped back into the water. His mind raced with everything he'd ever learned about jellyfish stings. They could be dangerous, though usually they were just painful, but if it was a deadly variety she could have died before there was even a hope to get her help.

He worked as quickly as he could to get the tentacles off her, but he knew he was missing steps and making mistakes. It pissed him off. But his real anger was directed towards the group in Tokyo who had assumed doing this to them would be just fine. She could have been much more badly hurt, and with the amount of damage there was, she should be seen by a doctor. He wished he'd already had medical training. But he was still in his last year of high school and was going mostly off of first aid courses and from his summer as a lifeguard a couple years before.

Warming sea temperatures were bringing more and more jellyfish to the coast of Japan, and that summer he'd seen dozens of stings, most much less severe than hers. He gave her some medication and laid her down, soaking a few pieces of gauze in vinegar to help with the sting. There was nothing else he could do for her, and so he sat and watched as she began to doze.

Clouds formed out on the horizon, growing thicker and thicker, and Mamoru had wanted to get Usagi inside before the storm hit them. He wished he could have left her to soak longer. She needed the relief of the cold water.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
***Usagi's POV***

She hurt. Her leg burned and stung. Usagi drifted in and out of sleep, waking occasionally to see the worried look on Mamoru's face. She wanted to tell him she was okay, but she couldn't. She was worried.

She was sucked into strange, vivid dreams. Dreams she couldn't remember when she woke.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
***Mamoru's POV***

Throughout the day Mamoru made himself busy with chores, lighting the fire, collecting more driftwood, purifying water to fill the already emptied bottles, cleaning, and even preparing a small meal. The storm clouds, several miles off the coast, he thought, were getting thicker. Lighting speared from them in wild forks. It fit his mood. He didn't think he'd ever been this angry before.

His first priority was his Usako, and he did what he could to make her comfortable. Waking her was difficult, and when he brought her food she only ate a few small bites before turning her head away. That worried him. He got her to drink some water, but even that was difficult. He had to bring the bucket to her in the afternoon as more nausea hit her. The effect of the stings concerned him, but he knew there was nothing he could do with what he had.

His mind whirled with dire possibilities and his anger grew and grew. On the horizon the massive storm clouds that had appeared released streaks of lightning that forked madly across the sky, but overhead it was clear, and the little opening in the cave ceiling let light down, reflecting on the long length of her hair, now wild and messy and falling from the Odango style. Usagi barely even flinched at the sounds of thunder, or the bright flashes, and that concerned him. She was terrified of thunder and lightening.

She whimpered in her sleep, reaching out as though to scratch the wounds, and he had to move her hand away several times. He removed and cleaned the gauze and applied more vinegar before laying the thin strips of material back over the welts. They wounds were an ugly shade of purple. Her reactions were worsening, though thankfully it didn't appear she had an allergy. But she was getting muscle spasms now in her leg, and the welts were raising. The area was obviously itching, and there was nothing he could do to help.

Frustrated he paced back out of the shelter. He glared at the sky, glared at the sea, glared at everything around him. He tried to keep his anger tamped down, but that was his little Odango Atama lying on that futon, hurt. She'd been crying even in her sleep, and was miserable, and there was nothing he could do. The waves began to grow, hitting the shore and the rocks with more force, making crashing sounds. He stumbled back to the shelter, worried about Usagi.

Thinking quickly, he checked his subspace pockets, hoping to find something inside to help. His own first aid kit came out and he saw to his relief that he had a topical antibiotic with a pain reliever in it. He also had other items that would be useful, including shaving cream and a razor. He didn't even remember putting those in the kit, but he was thankful he had. He put the kit down under the table, and went back to the bed to begin tending her wounds again.

The day passed, seeming to take ten times as long as it otherwise would. The storm continued to grow and worsen. And she continued to sleep. His anger was almost a palpable thing. He was so afraid she would die that he wanted to rage and scream. He couldn't though. He had to stay calm for her, had to be there to protect her, and make sure she got better.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
***Usagi's POV***

Usagi was sick several times, and that made her cry. She couldn't really understand why it made her cry, but it did. She itched. Her legs stung and burned and itched.

Dreams sucked her under. Sad and frightening dreams that she couldn't remember, but they kept pulling her back. She didn't want to dream. She didn't want to feel sad or scared.

She wanted to be held by her Mamo-chan and be at home in her nice comfy bed with her favorite bunny blanket.

She tossed and turned and couldn't get comfortable. And then Mamoru was changing the dressing on her wounds and she felt a little relief, but it didn't last long.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
***Mamoru's POV***

At dinner time she still refused to eat, and then just after dark she got up and raced outside. He followed, keeping his distance enough to ensure her privacy, but staying close enough to offer help or protection if she needed it. She had diarrhea, and he eventually brought her a water bottle with a squirt top to clean herself with. There was no way he wanted her going back in the water at the moment. He couldn't take the chance she'd get another sting so soon.

She was whimpering before she finished, and there was nothing he could do to fix it. Out at sea, hidden in the darkness, large waterspouts formed, the waves crashed wildly, and the lightning struck again and again.

Mamoru carried her back inside and laid her back on the bed. He nearly had to force her to drink some water, but finally she was comfortable. He gave her more Benadryl and more aspirin, then lay beside her and tried to sleep. His mind wouldn't completely shut down. He was aware of every movement, every whimper or sigh she made, and was up through most of the night.

He was worried about the diarrhea. Without her medicine her thyroid would go haywire again. She would lose weight. Even if she didn't end up severely dehydrated the sickness would add to that weight loss, and she would grow weaker. He held her close as she shivered, holding lightly to her wrists so she couldn't scratch.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
***Usagi's POV***

Something was holding her down. She didn't like it. She wanted it to let go. She heard a sigh and then Mamoru's comforting voice telling her it was okay, but she couldn't scratch.

"Hold me?" she whimpered.

He pulled her into his arms and cuddled her close.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
***Mamoru's POV***

Mamoru sat bolt upright in the bed. He didn't know what time it was. Late, that much he knew. The only light came from a pillar candle he'd left lit, so he could see Usagi, and the fire, which he'd kept going.

Scrambling off the futon, he made his way to the table and felt around. The little communicator wasn't there. He searched everywhere around the table and on every ledge, every corner of the cave, but it was gone. He went to build up the fire, then lit every candle they had, hoping it would be enough. He searched again, then took a stick of firewood out into the night and searched around the cave, but the communicator was nowhere to be found.

He wanted to howl. He wanted to cry. The damn thing had been worthless, and he'd wanted to smash it, but now that he needed it, the tiny ray of hope was missing. Usagi might die if she got much worse. She couldn't afford to keep losing weight. She couldn't afford to be sick and hurt.

Damnit! She didn't deserve this!

He finally let out all of his anger in a scream so full of anguish and hurt and torment and rage that it tore at his throat. In the distance the storm continued to grow, an unending wall of misery for any that could try and get close.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, lesson for today people... Jellyfish stings are NO JOKE! The pee theory has never been proven. The most effective treatment is to soak the area in warm to hot water and apply vinegar, and even salt water. Salt water can be used as a cleaning agent, though I don't understand the process of it. If more than half of any limb is affected, or if someone is stung near the face, neck or the genitals, then help should be sought immediately! This is my public service announcement. You have been warned.
> 
> Now, to make my explanation on the storm... Has anyone ever noticed that the Shitennou each have a power similar to the Senshi they love? Well, they do. They are also an extension of Mamoru, or the Earth Prince. As I was thinking this over, in another story, I realized that the person connected with Earth would have control over the elements of the Earth. He has to stay calm and in control for Usagi's sake, but that doesn't mean he really is. So, I let his anger pour out in another way.
> 
> Tell me what you think!

**Author's Note:**

> I just want to make it clear - this last scene was an assault on both Mamoru and Usagi. What they did to them was wrong, and should not be condoned. All of what they did to them is a crime. The kidnapping, the drugs, the sexual contact, and the forced sex act.


End file.
